Busy Bee, Bu$zz$Z$Zz

Ms. Sharapova keeps busy while she nurses injuries, no? Check out her latest news provided by BrandWeek

Cole Haan is featuring tennis star Maria Sharapova in its new spring ad campaign, marking the first time the Nike fashion subsidiary has used a Nike athlete as its face.


The campaign for Cole Haan’s 2009 sporting collection will debut the week of Feb. 9 in the March issue of Condé Nast’s Vanity Fair magazine.

"We are able to leverage her interest in fashion and sport, while connecting with our consumer in a new and unique way,” said Cole Haan CMO Michael Capiraso.

Ads will appear in subsequent issues of Condé Nast’s Vogue and Lucky, Hearst Magazines’ Harper’s Bazaar, Time Inc.’s InStyle, and American Express Publishing’s Travel + Leisure.

A catalogue of the collection will be polybagged and included with the April issue of Hachette Filipacchi Media’s Elle—which is the first time Cole Haan has included a catalogue with a magazine.

The campaign also will have a presence on NYTimes.com, NYmag.com and Style.com. Out-of-home executions include billboards and phone kiosks in New York City and on buses and bus shelters in South Florida.

Fashion photographer Martyn Thompson shot the campaign. Assouline is the creative agency.

Cole Haan’s U.S. ad spending totaled $12.4 million through Nov. 2008, up slightly from $12.1 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
TrackBack

Surprisingly, looks like she's making more $$ off the court than on the court. Good for her, no?

Fashion Patrol

I love the Australian Open. And one of the reasons I love it is due to the outrageous outfits the players get to wear. Some are hot, and some are not. With the winners finally crowned Down Under, here are my picks for the Best and Worst Dressed Players at the 2009 Australian Open.

Top 5 Best Dressed


#5 - Zheng Jie Simple, yet chic. Understated elegance. Nothing like a little Mercedes symbol to add a little class to your outfit as well. Great job, Zheng Jie!


#4 - Dinara Safina If you had asked me to predict who would be on my shortlist of worst dressed players before the start of the Aussie Open, I would have put Dinara Safina firmly on that list. Fortunately, I would've been wrong. Turns out, Dinara was as sick of her pink, "pepto bismol" outfit as we were. I love her new look. Let's just hope that hideous pink outfit remains shelved....permanently!


#3 - Elena Dementieva Elena was once the featured cover story for Canada's street-style magazine PEACE. She's a little bit of a fashionista, actually. She definitely delivered in the style department this year at the Australian Open. Her bright orange outfit really popped, especially against the deep blue of the courts. Can't wait to see her next outfit!


#2 - Roger Federer The Fed always shows up looking stylish and chic. If it hadn't been for Rafa's drastic transformation this year, I would have put him as #1. He was even wearing a matching belt. Whether on or off the court, the Swiss Maestro is a class act.


#1 - Rafael Nadal Like the rest of the world, I was completely shocked when I first saw Rafa's new look. No more sleeveless shirts or longer shorts. I guess being the World #1 comes with responsibilities other than stellar on-court performance. I liked his sense of color coordination too. Congrats on the new look Rafa, and on winning this year's trophy Down Under!

Top 5 Worst Dressed


#5 - Jelena Jankovic She looked like she was on maternity leave. And that color? How can you instill the fear of God into your opponent with a soft green pastel color. And to top things off, the outfit looked as if it had been washed one too many times. But since this is her first outing wearing a dress from her new sponsor ANTA, I'm willing to give her a little break.



#4 - Jelena Dokic We all love the comeback story of Jelena Dokic, but that doesn't mean we have to love her outfit. She looked like she had just stepped out of a time machine from the days of Martina Navratilova. She should save this outfit for her next 80s Night party. With all that hard earned cash, I hope she shows up next time with something a little more stylish (and current). I have faith in her.


#3 - James Blake Hello Grandpa Blake. The word out"fit" can sometimes refer to the size of the fit. Look at how much room he has in that shirt. It's like he's drowning in that rag. For someone that looks like a commercial print model, he has no excuse for showing up to the Australian Open wearing a shirt tailor-made for a man twice his size. C'mon!


#3 - Andy Murray If you're as pasty as Murray, you might want to steer clear of colors that make your skin look even more bleached. Australia is the prefect place to debut a new outfit, one with a splash of color. Perhaps a bold, primary color like red, which mirrors his fiery personality. And while he's at it, we suggest he get a tan! One more thing. Next time, please don't wear a shirt with dark patches under your armpits. Not a good idea.


#1 - Alisa Kleybanova Can you say "train wreck"? Kleybenova's outfit takes the highest honors for The Worst Dressed Player at the Australian Open. Congratulations Alisa! Those hideous colors, and that horrible hat. I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw her images flash on the TV screen. Especially when contrasting her against the super stylish Ana Ivanovic. Next time, she should phone her compatriot Dementieva for some much-needed fashion advice, or face the danger of being a repeat offender. Man, it's a good thing she's got some major game.