It's 'Lights, Camera, Fashion.' at Bloomingdale's This Fall

NEW YORK, Aug 17, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- PIXR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- This fall, Bloomingdale's celebrates the art and style of film. Customers will see blockbuster new films, discover indie darlings, remember classic films, see fashions inspired by great characters, and even cast themselves in scenes from their favorite flicks. Partnerships with major motion picture studios, an independent film studio, a classic cable movie network and a hot new video game put Bloomingdale's and its fashions in the spotlight this fall season. The official kick-off to the fall fashion season at Bloomingdale's is August 27, in conjunction with the "Fashionable Fundraiser in Black and White" event.

Over the course of the eight-week long campaign, Bloomingdale's will give away more than 35,000 tickets to movie screenings. By partnering with six major movie studios -- Columbia Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Universal Studios and Walt Disney Pictures -- Bloomingdale's was able to gain access for its customers to some of the hottest new films of the season, including Julie & Julia, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3-D, Taking Woodstock, Couples Retreat, Princess and the Frog and Amelia. Special viewing lounges in each Bloomingdale's location will screen trailers and behind-the-scenes footage of these, and more, new films.

Making Movies

Bloomingdale's, in partnership with Young Indies Films, an independent studio that fosters and promotes young actors and filmmakers, commissioned five original short films by noted emerging young directors. The three to five minute films, whose genres range from romance to generational relationships, and whose styles incorporate live-action and animation, were shot and produced entirely in New York City over the course of 15 days. The films, dubbed BFLIX, will be shown in all Bloomingdale's stores and on Bloomingdales.com.

Shoppers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite BFLIX film via text message or Bloomingdales.com. The winning director will receive a trip to Film Independent's nationally televised Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, indie film's biggest night of the year.

The five short films and their directors are:

    --  Tea for Three directed by Amy Redford, an accomplished director and
        actor of film, television and stage and written by Hall Powell;
    --  Recession Special by Emily Abt, recently selected as one of Variety
        Magazine's 'Top 10 Directors to Watch,' and founder and
        president of Pureland Pictures, Inc, a Brooklyn based production
        company;
    --  The Love Game by Andrew Hunt, an award-winning writer/director and
        animator who has international experience in television and film;
    --  My Adventures in Ladies' Undergarments, 4(th) Floor by Antonio
        Campos, a director whose first feature film, AFTERSCHOOL, was nominated
        for an Independent Spirit Award as best first feature, and whose short
        film THE LAST 15 was nominated for the Palme d'Or short category at
        the Cannes Film Festival in 2007;

    --  Tall Enough by Barry Jenkins, an award-winning writer-director of Film
        Independent Spirit Award nominee for best first feature, Medicine for
        Melancholy.

Screening Movies in Stores

Shoppers will see the fruits of a major partnership with Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Memorable black and white movie clips, from films such as North by Northwest, The Maltese Falcon, The Postman Always Rings Twice, On the Town and The Philadelphia Story, will be screened in the viewing lounges. And, the network, which is the authority in classic films, has loaned Bloomingdale's its extensive collection of photographs. The "Hollywood's Leading Ladies" and "Hollywood's Leading Men" black and white photograph exhibits will be on display in each store throughout the fall season. The commercial-free network will even promote its partnership with Bloomingdale's on-air in Classic Movie News.

In partnership with Fox Searchlight Pictures, five Bloomingdale's stores will feature costumes and artifacts from Amelia, starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere. The movie, slated for an October release, takes a look at the life of the legendary American aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, who vanished over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. Ten Bloomingdale's stores will erect fashion displays inspired by the wardrobe from the movie. Ralph Lauren and Burberry are just a few of the designers contributing fashions for the display.

Warner Brothers and Disney will also contribute exhibits to select Bloomingdale's stores. In September, five stores -- New York 59(th) Street, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Aventura, Florida and San Francisco and Century City in California -- will host exhibits of famous superheroes and arch-villains. Iconic costumes will include the Joker costume from Heath Ledger's award-winning performance in The Dark Knight, George Clooney's Batman from Batman & Robin, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman and Danny DeVito's Penguin costumes from Batman Returns, and Christopher Reeve's Superman suit from Superman.

Walt Disney Pictures will contribute behind-the-scenes photographs of the making of Disney/Pixar's Toy Story and Toy Story 2. The four stores to receive this display are New York 59(th) Street, Sherman Oaks and South Coast Plaza in California, and Orlando, Florida.

Select stores, including New York 59(th) Street and the three D.C. area stores, will host some of Hollywood's current leading men -- in the form of wax figures. The legendary Madame Toussauds wax museum will lend Bloomingdale's George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Will Smith figures for the campaign.

Putting Customers in the Movies

In another nod to the film industry, Bloomingdale's will cast its customers in an unmistakably cinematic light this fall. As the exclusive department store retailer of Yoostar, Bloomingdale's will offer its customers the unique experience of performing in their favorite movie scenes alongside award-winning actors. The Yoostar entertainment system allows you to film yourself right into famous movie scenes, where you can perform with or replace the original actors. Users can follow the script or deliver their own interpretation of the movie, then upload their performances to Yoostar.com and share them on their favorite social networking sites. Bloomingdale's and Yoostar will provide the opportunity for shoppers to experience the Yoostar system live in select Bloomingdale's locations during the month of September. Yoostar "stage directors" will assist users in creating their performances.

Movies at Home

Bloomingdale's customers will also experience the company's passion for film in their own homes. Each of the fall fashion catalogs is heavily influenced by motion pictures:

    --  August's Y.E.S. contemporary catalog put the spotlight on 19
        up-and-coming indie actresses, including Katherine Waterston, Paz de la
        Huerta and Emily Meade. The catalog goes behind the scenes of a screen
        test in which 19 girls audition for critically acclaimed director
        Jennifer Venditti. The girls model clothes from designers like Aqua,
        Theory, Elizabeth and James, Helmut Lang, Madison Marcus, Tibi, Diane
        von Furstenberg and Vince.

    --  "Extra Credit," the season's back to school catalog,
        offers a film-inspired take on the best trends. "Leggings with
        Everything" and "The Color: Purple" are just a sampling
        of the book's key trends.

    --  Fall's gigantic HOT ready-to-wear catalog is bursting with fashion
        trends, movie stars and giveaways. Indie darling Rose McGowan graces the
        cover and models key evening looks inside. Also in the catalog, shoppers
        will find an exclusive interview with designers Ashley and Mary-Kate
        Olsen, creators of Elizabeth and James. Runway spreads illustrate trends
        of the season at a wide variety of price points, and take inspiration
        from the latest films, including Amelia. Customers can find out how to
        receive tickets to this fall's remake of the classic dance movie
        Fame, and even win a trip to film's ultimate European destination,
        Cannes.

    --  The Men's fashion catalog will also utilize runway-inspired spreads
        to showcase the key trends of the season. Recording artist Rob Thomas
        models hot fall looks and cult American designer Billy Reid gives an
        exclusive interview. The partnership with Turner Classic Movies led to
        pages inspired by Hollywood's leading men.

Watch Movies Online

A special microsite at Bloomingdales.com will be devoted to film. Launching with select content on August 26 and full content on September 11, online shoppers will be able to view and vote for the BFLIX movies, learn about Yoostar and see select Bloomingdale's customers own Yoostar clips and watch major new movie trailers.

Bloomingdale's is America's only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store; and a division of Macy's, Inc. It was founded in 1872 and currently operates 40 stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, Florida, Nevada and California. For more information, or to shop any time, visit www.bloomingdales.com.

SOURCE Bloomingdale's

http://www.bloomingdales.com

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