In 2010, the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television established a groundbreaking partnership with Swarovski, the world's leading producer of precision-cut crystal. This initiative was Swarovski’s first relationship with a university in the United States and the first anywhere to benefit an institution whose primary focus is entertainment rather than fashion.
Left: Swarovski Communications Manager Elizabeth Murphy announces the Swarovski Crystal design initiative during the 2010 UCLA Film Festival.
Event Collaboration and Sponsorship Case Study: Swarovski
UCLA Film Festival
Design Showcase West
Design Showcase West is the only national entertainment design showcase on the West Coast, and is held every June, during the UCLA Film Festival. Design Showcase West students from the top graduate design programs across the nation, exhibit portfolios of their recent work in the fields of costume design, scenic design, or lighting design. The day-long event consists of an industry review session and luncheon (by invitation only), followed by a review session that is open to the public.
Under the purview of the David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Swarovski and the UCLA Film Festival established the Swarovski National Design Competition, conferring the Swarovski Award for Excellence in Costume Design upon a UCLA MFA costume student during Design Showcase West.
The Copley Center/Swarovski collaboration resulted in a series of Swarovski Distinguished Designer Panels at the 2011 Design Showcase West during the UCLA Festival of New Creative Work, offering students of design the unique opportunity to meet and interact with some of the entertainment industry's most respected costume designers.
As the Coordinator of the UCLA Festival of New Creative Work, my job was to ensure that Swarovski's sponsorship of the festival event Design Showcase West was cohesive and that the company was consulted on the representation of their brand image at the event and in all publicity endeavors.
