On October 9th, CAT Footwear held a presentation and runway show hosted at New York City's oldest whiskey distillery, Kings County Distillery, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The event was in celebration of the launch of Cat's Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, and to preview their upcoming Spring/Summer 2014 collection.
The festivities also introduced CAT's "Earthmovers Campaign," which highlights a selection of inspiring individuals (curated by CAT Footwear) who are doing big things and moving the earth in their everyday lives. Six Earthmovers were featured in the runway show including Gina Giorgio (aka DJ Gene), Luke Lambert (Crew Chief of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet), Alexi Panos & Tennille Amor (Co-Founders of the non-profit: E.P.I.C. which stands for "Everyday People Initiating Change"), Tyler Hilton (Singer/Songwriter & Actor), and Nicole Austin (the Master Blender of Kings County Distillery).
Go HERE for more photos by Patrick MacLeod from CAT Footwear's "Footwear And Firewater" Runway Show!
When the guests (who were brought in on a trolley from the nearest subway stop) arrived, they were treated to whiskey tastings led by the distillery's blenders, while DJ Gene provided the soundtrack. A sneak preview of the boots and shoes were on display and sprinkled throughout the distillery, which provided a rustic and industrial backdrop that was very much in line with the Caterpillar brand. At 8pm, the party shifted to the distillery's driveway, where the runway show was held outdoors. The show featured 31 looks, ranging from CAT's iconic "Colorado" work boot, to key styles from both the men's and women's AW13 and SS14 collections. CAT partnered with Agave Denim, the exclusive apparel sponsor for the show, who provided an urban-utilitarian uniform of denim-on-denim which served as a fantastic palette for highlighting the shoes.
At the end of the show, Dani Zizak, CAT Footwear's Vice President of Global Marketing, got up to say a few words and surprised the crowd by bringing out Tyler Hilton to perform a few songs on the runway, which included "Loaded Gun" and "Kickin' My Heels." Afterward, guests returned to the distillery for more drinks and music by DJ Gene, and were sent home with an #Earthmovers gift bag to cap off the evening.