Somerset by Alice Temperley launched

Announced this week, the 60 piece collection, that includes all manner of gorgeous accessories, will be launching this autumn in John Lewis stores across the UK as well as online. Here at Rain we’re all coveting different pieces from the collection demonstrating that there isn’t just one or two hero pieces, but instead something to suit all tastes. The pony skin tote and classic biker boots with flashes of animal print are most definitely on our wishlist as are the day dresses in chiffon with black lace inserts.

How exciting to be able to afford a complete collection from one of the UKs most iconic designers! She’s really put her stamp on this collection and stayed true to her signature style. Roll on September 4^th when we can finally get our hands on this collection, but in the meantime we will all be making a mental shopping list!

Fashion media are well and truly behind this; see Jess’ piece in the Guardian yesterday and VOGUE’s piece announcing the launch.

Maids and Butlers for Oxford Street's May Makeover

It’s all part of a new campaign to give Oxford Street a special spruce up.  With an anticipated 25 million visitors due to hit the West End this summer for the Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Games, all eyes will be turned on the capital.  The gloves will come off. The sterling efforts of our butler and maid friends, the street cleaners and Litterati members of the public will be championed.

“May Makeover Month” will also throw down the gauntlet to retailers across the West End. They will be challenged to donate 1,000 staff and 60,000 volunteer minutes for a special 60 Minute Makeover on 30^th May 2012 to apply the finishing touches to the district.

Every section of pavement along Oxford Street is going to be deep-cleaned – no mean feat for Europe’s longest street, covering an area the size of four football pitches in total.  The arms of our noble volunteers will no doubt be aching as they polish 1,500 metres of store front and make the windows truly sparkle.  The Crossrail barriers from Oxford Street will also be coming down and street furniture will get a jet blast. Barbara Sheridan, Executive Head Housekeeper at the Thistle Marble Arch, told us it was the largest preparation she had ever seen, and she should know, having worked in the West End for over twenty five years.  The maids out in force (pictured, from Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill) would enthusiastically agree. We can’t wait to see it when it’s all tip top!

Royal butlers Randolph’s have also been commissioned by New West End Company to create a ‘Guide to High Street Stateliness’ to provide retailers with their tips fit for a Queen. So if ever there was a reason to Keep Britain Tidy and clean up your act, this is it.  Now, just need to get one of those Butlers round to my gaff…

Luxury Experience at The Vineyard

News of this will no doubt have the UK tourism industry buzzing with anticipation as Britain enters the spotlight with our Diamond Jubilee celebrations and of course the Olympic Games in London.  Certainly the industry is looking for a long term “halo effect” as a new burst of international travellers set their sights on good old Blighty; tourists who will hopefully continue to keep GB front of mind once Olympic activity has settled back down

Clearly, tourism is where it’s at this year.  Now is a great time for British businesses to expand awareness of their brands overseas in order to capture international crowds researching a trip before they arrive, as they land, during their visit and after they take their luggage (weighed down with new purchases) back home. The tourism team at Rain is already making headway with tailored media campaigns, building on relationships with VisitBritain and capitalising on their GREAT Britain initiative in order   to showcase the very best of what our clients have to offer international tourists.

Over the years we have worked on a number of tourism campaigns, from Penninghame House, a macrobiotic health retreat in Scotland, to London’s West End.  Since then, we have grown from strength to strength as more and more clients – both old and new – recognise the intrinsic value of travel. Understanding the quintessential significance of John Lewis to domestic shoppers for example, we have recently extended our brief from in-store services, fashion and pan-London campaigns to working on driving tourism footfall and increasing in-store spend.

Expanding beyond destination retail and linking into other pillars of the Great British experience, we are also publicising UK destinations such as the beautiful and historical Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds and one of the first hotels on our portfolio, The Vineyard at Stockcross in Berkshire.  We aim to help extend the choice for Brits at home looking to soak up this bumper year from our own shores rather than heading off abroad. This ties in nicely with the government backed “Staycation” campaign. All in all we are really excited to be welcoming people from both home and away to experience everything on offer in celebration of this GREAT British year.

By Alison Wood

Alesha wearing her empowerment necklace

International Women’s Day is a special day celebrating and applauding women’s achievements while at the same time providing a voice for discrimination and gender issues still facing women right across the globe.  It’s also a great opportunity to campaign for women’s causes.

Now over 100 years old, the day has been adopted worldwide but different countries take a varying approach to their celebrations.  Last year, Daniel Craig dressed in drag for an online video to promote equality and the day was trending  across social media such as Twitter.  However, despite media and social media attention, the day can still  lack the appropriate attention it should receive in the UK.

A highly significant issue for women in the UK is the shocking statistics about incidents of domestic violence. 1 in 4 women will suffer domestic violence at some point in their lifetime and up to two women are killed by current or former partners every week in England and Wales. Few women feel comfortable speaking about such a sensitive and emotional issue. Victims of domestic violence have a tendency to blame themselves, some not realising that controlling emotional abuse is part of how an abuser will try and manipulate a woman. With Avon, we are working with Alesha Dixon to launch a new campaign to encourage women to speak out against domestic violence and for friends and family of potential sufferers to be aware of the signs of abuse.  Alesha is a child survivor of domestic violence, so this is an issue very close to her heart. She will be the face of a new  ‘Pass it On’ initiative, designed to encourage women to talk more openly about domestic violence and help remove some of the taboo surrounding the issue.

We have a jam packed day with Alesha ahead of us and are really excited about launching the new Avon Empowerment Necklace as part of the Pass it On campaign. The necklace is a symbol of support and solidarity for survivors, to let them know they are not alone.  All proceeds will go to Refuge and Women’s Aid, adding to the £1million already raised through sales of Avon’s empowerment products. Alesha will wear and share the necklace with survivors, volunteers and top fundraising Avon Representatives at the National Domestic Violence Helpline Centre as well as making guest appearances on popular sofas such as DayBreak and  Lorraine, all to raise awareness for this overlooked cause.

So as the Spice Girls once said, let’s get behind Girl Power and mark the day by speaking out to help end violence against women this International Women’s Day.  For more information please see www.1in4women.com  and www.avonshop.co.uk and follow the conversations on Twitter with the #PassItOn and #IWD2012.

By Sam Wetherald

For the first time since, 2008 (obviously), we all have one lip-smackingly beautiful extra day to really enjoy.  Spring is just about to start (we hope – our wardrobes are certainly crying out for some spring fashion) so why not milk this extra day for all it’s worth. How are you going to spend it?

Crack open the bubbly because....it's a Wednesday. And Leap Day

Normal rules don’t quite apply on Leap Day. I think of it as similar to a weird “blip in the matrix” – how many 32 year olds do you know who are actually only eight years old? Bizarre. Whatever the day may mean to you, be it a quadrennial birthday, an opportunity to try that parachute jump or to propose to the man you love, then Leap Day is an excuse to celebrate.

Perhaps the issue is more about how to do that on a “Wednesday”.  I was born on a Wednesday and class it as the very worst day of the week.  I can’t stand Wednesdays.  It’s a very long time until the weekend no matter how much you love your work.  It’s not known for being an exciting day. Friends don’t want to go out because “it’s a Wednesday”.  Wednesday is  sometimes “full of woe” as the traditional rhyme tells us.   It is essentially pretty darn difficult to be thrilling on a Wednesday.  Which is exactly why we have to get out there and do it.  We need to treat this particular Wednesday like there’s a Friday hiding inside just waiting to get out.

So, explore a new area of London you haven’t yet been to but has been on your list for ages (try our client InMidtown’s programme of walks through Holborn, Bloomsbury and St Giles ).  Take the opportunity to try out a new restaurant with a discount offer or check out the happy hour at that great new bar you heard about last week and get your work colleagues and mates together just because it’s Leap Day.   Treat yourself to a new outfit just because you feel truly happy about one extra day – browse WestEndVIP for latest offers in London. Make a difference and use your extra time to sign up and donate to a charity or get yourself on a volunteer list.  Donate your blood! Hop on the London Eye and challenge your fear of heights. Throw your dignity to the wind and stretch your vocal chords for a stint of horrifying karaoke. Or, for those for whom these ideas are really too much excitement, especially for a Wednesday, simply take some time out for a long bath, a glass of wine or to call that long-lost friend.

We don’t think that any of the Rain team will be popping the question to their significant others today but we will all be out there  enjoying our Leap Day party tonight.  Traditional recipe Gin fizzes will be on hand for us to celebrate the occasion in style along with a retro  ”engagement” theme to the event.  Chocolate fountain ahoy.  Hey, enjoy yourself, it’s not going to happen again for a very long time…

COLLECTION by John Lewis Blue It Bag

Burberry Prorsum stole the show in Hyde Park with an enormous temporary greenhouse space, with fashion’s favourites Clemence Poésy, Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Burberry model and Birdsong star Eddie Redmayne, gracing the red carpet. The magnificent catwalk show culminated in a reverberating faux thunderstorm, where torrents of water rained down on the venue as Burberry’s models, led by the industry’s new sweetheart Cara Delevingne, sashayed down the catwalk in trenchcoats and umbrellas under a rain of iridescent flakes.

Trends set to stay for AW12 include urban military at Topshop Unique, Margaret Howell and McQueen and winter cyber florals at Peter Pilotto, Chistopher Kane and Erdem. In true patriotic spirit, London’s designers explored the heritage of the British Isles at Daks, Mulberry and Paul Smith, while lavender shades were prominent at Peter Jensen, Louise Gray and Jonathan Saunders and cubic prints made a dramatic entrance at Clements Ribeiro , Roksanda Ilincic and JW Anderson.

As usual, eyes weren’t solely on the catwalk and in true London style, the fashion pack were out in force. Somerset House was ablaze with paparazzi flashes as bloggers, editors and revered fashionistas posed for street style snaps. Micro trends from the week included outfit palettes of bold primary colours (cobalt blue was popular, Rain likes this handbag from John Lewis Fashion) and the hitherto avoided baseball cap. The fashion crowd do not appear to have given up their love of fluoro and ombré hair dye trends, with a plethora of rainbow shades seen on the cobbles of Somerset House.

All in all, a triumph for London and British fashion. Rain is looking forward to seeing what London Men’s Fashion Weekend (15-17^th June) and SS13 has in store.

By Jo Rowley for Rain Communications

Today, Sudeley Castle is privately owned by Lady Ashcombe and her son and daughter Henry and Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst.  Steeped in over 1000 years of history, Sudeley Castle is home to tales of royal associations, wars and restoration and is the final resting place of Queen Katherine Parr.

Sudeley Castle by Clive Burling

Part of our work will involve publicising the Sudeley calendar of events to help Brits considering a “staycation” or a day trip to choose Sudeley.   The Queen Katherine Parr Quincentenary Festival 2012, anchored at Sudeley Castle, will be an historical, literary and musical event marking 500 years since the birth of Henry VIII’s sixth wife. Festival dates will be released in the next few weeks.

Lady Ashcombe told Rain “Sudeley Castle has an enchanting history and is perfectly poised to reveal the remarkable life of Katherine Parr, with many tales from our archives to be told for the first time this season. We are delighted that Sudeley has its moment to shine this year and that visitors of all ages will be intrigued to come and explore  the castle and discover Tudor tales from Sudeley’s past.”

The account will be headed up by Rain Communications’ MD Delia Hyde and travel and tourism PR experts, Alison Wood and Katie Blake, who will be drawing on Rain’s national, international and broadcast media relationships, as well as tourism partners such as Visit Britain, Visit England and Foreign Press Association.

Alison Wood, Rain Communications, commented “Sudeley Castle is a remarkable tourist and heritage destination and has a unique story to tell of the lasting legacy of the Tudor dynasty through the life of Queen Katherine Parr. She is famous for ‘surviving’ the curse of Henry VIII’s wives but is less known for her instrumental role in reuniting the monarch with all his children before his death. We are really excited to share her story and celebrate her life through the festival.”

The castle is set amongst award-winning gardens billowing with hundreds of varieties of roses, and reopens to the public on 1st April. For more information see: http://www.sudeleycastle.co.uk/

Whether fashion reflects an economic climate is questionable. During the Swinging Sixties the economy saw a growth in prosperity and so hemlines shrunk and people opted for more experimental fashion. With the dawn of Thatcher’s government in 1979, the nation turned to tough fashion for tough times with punk trends dominating the early Eighties. In line with this, during the city bankers’ boom of the late 1990s and 2000s, trends veered towards cropped tops and an eclectic ‘anything goes’ attitude to fashion, inspired by the likes of Kate Moss and today considered the quintessential look of British fashion.

So, does this prove that changing hemlines reflect changing economies? In times of austerity do we change the way we dress?

So far, during a period of financial instability, the 2010s have traded minis for maxis (and midis), in a similar way to the long flowing styles of the New Romantics in the 1980s. However, ironically, our current decade seems to have also traded the simplicity of the 90s for extravagance (it is only a matter of time before lash extensions become the norm) and, with that, we have turned from the high street to luxe.

Mulberry and Burberry represent iconic British brands that have seen the country through the recession – both report storming sales figures. The return of Burberry to London Fashion Week in 2009 has brought significant business back to the capital. Indeed luxury brands appear to have suffered least in the recession, with high street brands taking the biggest hit on the whole. The UK has seen an increase in both domestic and international shoppers buying into iconic, luxury brands like Mulberry, viewing this as a worthwhile investment.

The recent display at London Fashion Week represents fashion breaking through hard times: as global markets went into meltdown, the fashion industry turned, quite literally, to gold. Gold is the colour of decadent luxury; the epitome of Parisian Right Bank chic and excess.

Once described by Helmut Newton as ‘a fashion maniac’, Anna Dello Russo, fashion blogger, style icon and Editor at Large and Creative Consultant for Vogue Japan, is undoubtedly the fashion trailblazer of this trend for lavishness and experimentation. Her prolific fashion creations, often generously adorned with gold gilding, arguably provide the fashion blueprint for contemporary design, ironically, in times of desperate measures.

So should we be opting for Middleton-style restraint in times like these or having fun with fashion like Anna Dello Russo and her second in command, Lady Gaga?

If the show put on at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 is to forecast the economic future for 2012, then we should be smiling. In London, Topshop Unique’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection displayed elfin girls with slicked back hair covered in gold leaf, while their nails were dripping in metal.

On the continent, Fendi’s Spring Summer 2012 collection in Italy showcased extravagant fashion prints and eyes laced in gold foil, begging the question, why use gold powder when you can use the real deal?

Critics on The Economist website have scorned fashion designers for their emphasis on artistic value, and suggest that their focus should lie more in the business value of fashion design.

But the truth is, (merits and limitations of artistic experimentation aside), London Fashion Week is increasingly good business for Britain, bringing ‘millions to the economy’ according to Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

With fashion trending in such a manner, what should we expect to see on the catwalks in 2012 in light of the Olympics in Britain? Should we expect to see fashion adopting the primary colours of the Olympic emblem or take on the tricolor colours of the Union Jack? It remains to be seen, but this will be a spectacle worth waiting for.

The circus comes to Oxford Circus for High Street Fashion Week

For the Rain girls High Street Fashion Week began with a coffee fuelled 4am start at the crack of dawn to roll out the biggest stunt High Street Fashion week has ever displayed in its three year history. An array of talented stylists were quick off the mark to transform jugglers, hoola-hoopers and stuntmen with big hair and bold make-up into circus performers for a traffic stopping start to London’s precursor to Fashion Week.

There was little time for to get comfy in their costumes before the sun came up and the cameras began to roll for vox popping on Oxford Circus and the infamous tube sign and interviews with members of the public and the New West End Company’s Director Jace Tyrrell. September importantly marks the start of one the most important months in the retail calendar outside of the Christmas Period, and the West End is anticipating a boost of £200m of sales per week until the close of 2011.

Shortly before 7.20am, as sleepy London commuters started to pile out of London’s busiest tube station rapturous circus music began to blare from the Nike building and stewards stepped in to stop the traffic. The circus performers descended upon Oxford Circus in ball of energy and colour to beeping horns from passing traffic as passersby began to marvel at their unexpected start to the working week as the ringmaster quipped her whip and drove growing crowds into a frenzy of excitement and all captured in spontaneous vox popping activity.

This stunning large-scale fashion inspired circus kicked off a jam-packed week which saw 33 high street retailers including Selfridges, Topshop, M&S, River Island, John Lewis, Debenhams and House of Fraser hosting a calendar of fashion-filled events and promotions. Shoppers will continue to be treated to exclusive celebrity parties, must have promotions, style tutorials and exclusive offers on new season collections. This week has been a truly accessible fashion calendar, the people’s prelude to industry led London Fashion Week. For a full itinerary of the week visit www.oxfordstreet.co.uk

Ever got excited about an influential blogger who seems perfect for a client campaign only to discover during the course of your content profile research that their Twitter page is littered with expletives and their blog remit isn’t quite what it seems?

We’ve uncovered a few surprises. I feel really disappointed when I discover that a key blogger who has a great following, really knows their stuff and wants to work with the media – I’m only referring to those bloggers here – also uses their site for random rants or F-bombs with gleeful abandon on their blog posts and Twitter.
Influence scores are only the starting point – you’ve got to take a close look at a blogger’s entire digital profile to ensure they mind their language as well offer expert views before engaging with them for a client campaign.

It’s hard to believe that even some high profile bloggers still fail to realise that social networks are broadcast mediums and that their digital footprint will follow them – and can haunt them forever.

Leaving a trail of rants and raves (which more often than not can come across as ‘unhinged’ rather than big and clever when not backed up by at least an attempt at intelligent comment or analysis) can seriously compromise the credibility of a blogger who seeks to be taken seriously and work with the media.

At Rain, we take bloggers very seriously and have established great relationships with top bloggers who work in all of our client sectors.  In addition to adding influential bloggers to our database for news releases (and carefully checking that they actually want to receive them in the first place!), we also work with a select group of brilliant bloggers for outreach campaigns and content creation.

We assess blog sites, reading content to understand their remit and what would work for them in the exactly the same we approach media relations.
For each new campaign, we seek to connect with the very best in the given client’s sector to ensure the perfect fit – and establish a mutually helpful and beneficial relationship.

“Don’t post anything if you wouldn’t want your Mum to read it” is a golden rule for social media.
It’s just a shame that some people still don’t get it. That’s why ‘sanity’ checking is a vital part of the blogger content research process.