March 8, 2011
No-Fur Initiative Visits Conde Nast at New York Fashion Week
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.
NEW YORK, NY (March 1, 2011) - New York Fall 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week came to a close on Thursday, February 17; but as models took their final steps down runways, drenched in more fur than ever, PINNACLE: Reinvent the Icon - the edgy, new fashion initiative-made a play as rebels with a cause.
At 10am on the last day of fashion's most important annual event, PINNACLE fashionistas gathered outside of Cond� Nast's international headquarters, dressed in vegan high fashion attire, and handed out beautifully produced, full-color PINNACLE magazines; with editorial content focusing on cutting-edge fashion and educating readers about the deceit of the fur industry.
Despite some anxieties about how the multi-national corporation with holdings including fur-friendly Vogue, Women's Wear Daily, Glamour, Allure, GQ, and Vanity Fair might receive the action, the fashionistas were well-received by Cond� Nast employees and passers-by alike.
No police were summoned to the colorful scene, and one of the building's staff offered advice to the team on how to best distribute the publication.
Approximately 400 of the magazines were distributed by the (literally) well-heeled trend-setters who included PINNACLE founder Joshua Katcher and model/vegan donut entrepreneur Christopher Hollowell (Dun-Well Donuts).
In addition to the visit to Cond� Nast, Joshua Katcher made frequent appearances at Lincoln Center runway shows throughout Fashion Week, sharing the realities of fur and magazines with style scene movers and shakers including Tim Gunn and Robert Verdi, while attending more than a dozen shows.
One small step in vegan heels, one giant leap for anti-fur activism.
The digital editions of the magazine are both available for public distribution in their entireties at the following link: www.reinventtheicon.com/magazine/.
More on the PINNACLE initiative can be found at the campaign's official website: www.reinventtheicon.com. The initiative is supported by designers including VPL by Victoria Bartlett, Stella McCartney, John Bartlett, Ashton Michael Black Label, Vaute Couture, Olsenhaus, Cri de Coeur, Valerie Rubinaccio, Melissa Plastic Dreams, La Ruicci, Eairth, and Dirty Librarian Chains.
Joshua Katcher (Creator/author of The Discerning Brute blog; Producer for MTV) founded The Discerning Brute in 2008 as a resource for intelligent men who want to make ethical, informed decisions concerning their lifestyles. He has been deemed, "The New Sexy Vegan" by UK's The Guardian and a "Vegan superstar" by Oprah.com.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
