In a first-ever for us, we debuted a new collection to a live audience on Tuesday night at Hotel Drover in Fort Worth.
“Doing the event was kind of the culmination of a few different thoughts that were bouncing around the marketing table,” Cheryl said. “We were brainstorming what we should do for an activation event to kick off the Cowgirl Rising collection, but also thinking on ‘how can we engage our audience with Donna [Howell-Sickles] that isn’t a run-of-the-mill meet-and-greet at the store?’ and in the same meeting, laughing at ourselves that people have GOT to be tired of just hearing the three of us do line launches! Basically, all those things in a blender concocted this really cool idea.”
So, the idea was born and the logistics followed. Hotel Drover was the obvious choice of venue – within walkable distance, a gorgeous space, and delicious food. We reached out with the idea, they were keen on it, and even went so far as to partner with us on it – and they went above and beyond. They offered a special room rate for the folks traveling from afar, they were most gracious in letting us rearrange all the things and designate specialty cocktails, and provided so much hands-on help the day of. They’re a first-class operation. [If you’re seeking somewhere to stay in the Stockyards, the Hotel Drover should definitely be at the top of your list!]
“The response was remarkable!” Mitchell said. “I never doubted it would be a success, but we sold out this event in, I think, two days? If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times –we have the best customer base in the world. Some ladies came all the way in from California. It was great!”
We invited attendees to stop by the store any time Tuesday to grab their tickets and swag bags, then around 4:30, we all meandered over to Hotel Drover for some cute cowgirl cocktails before the fashion show at 5.
“We did have a minor hiccup there,” Mitchell laughed. “We, uh, lost power in the foyer right at the start of the show. So, we had to relocate inside, but we had a team of consummate professionals – in very official-looking headsets, I might add – and patient attendees who were gracious about the delay, so really, it wasn’t a big deal in the end.”
We were thrilled to hear audible “oohs” and “ahhs” from the audience as we debuted the collection, and we could tell it was really resonating with them – which is so rewarding, and not something we get experience during a typical launch taping!
We followed that up with a drool-worthy three-course dinner of citrus salad, filet mignon with mushroom risotto, and a raspberry lemon meringue tart. Alongside dessert, we commenced our Q&A with Donna Howell-Sickles, that was equal parts entertaining, enlightening, and inspiring.
“It was evident the session with Donna was a real highlight of the evening for a lot of people,” Cheryl said. “She’s very articulate – and very open, very approachable. She was candid about a lot of people in her life doubting her ability to make art a career, and how it wasn’t realistic for a woman to make it in Western art, and she did it anyway. And y’all know we love that kind of moxie! I think that resonated and was very inspiring.”
And, as if that evening doesn’t sound lovely enough, it culminated with another special surprise. Each attendee received a poster print from Donna, and that really wrapped up the event in an exciting way.
That, friends, was one for the books!
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