NORDSTROM GEARS UP
Inside department store’s upcoming Vancouver launch.
Aslim, snowy-skinned model poses precariously on the lip of the seawall in Stanley Park. A small crew looks on as a black-shirted photographer snaps away as she walks — nay, struts — along the stony edge, a breathtakingly sun-soaked cityscape of downtown Vancouver shimmering in the background.
Crowds of tourists, joggers and cyclists taking in the scenery at Hallelujah Point remain mostly indifferent to the small photo shoot taking place, opting instead to snap pictures of the view.
It appears supermodel Coco Rocha and fashion photographer Jake Rosenberg will remain unrecognized, for now — much to the relief of the Nordstrom team looking on.
The shoot, which took place during an unseasonably warm day in late May, is part of the Seattle-based retailer’s We Like Your Style campaign to celebrate the Sept. 18 opening of its first Vancouver store.
In addition to Rocha, who grew up in Metro Vancouver, the company chose seven local influencers to star in its campaign, which is expected to begin popping up in July at the department store’s Pacific Centre location and around the city.
The local approach to the retailer’s launch proved to be a success with similar campaigns for its store openings in Calgary’s Chinook Centre in September 2014 and Ottawa’s Rideau Centre in March, and they’re hoping to launch to the same fanfare with a diverse batch of influencers.
Expect to see: The Interview actress Diana Bang, Inventory magazine editor-in-chief Ryan Willms, Chatelaine’s west coast style editor Susie Wall, radio personality Nira Arora, Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe founder (and contributor to the Sun’s food pages) Jackie Kai Ellis, DJ Jayda Guy and restaurateur James Iranzad, on ads papering the city.
The Sun was granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the fashion shoot with Rosenberg and Rocha — and the opportunity to question a few of the top local influencers about summer style, their take on local style and what the retailer’s arrival in town means for Vancouver fashion.