No-one knew what the outcome would be. There had been rumors, though the pool party was engineered to get results. Wayne of Triple Advertising didn't spend money frivolously. They wanted results. The invitations had been gaged for just that, to promote the new range of swim-wear and to get it into all the well known celebrity magazines. There was nothing quite like free publicity. All you needed was a venue, guests and a product and the recipe for success was assured.
Jennifer looked at the tailored invitations. The Wayne and Triple crest proudly displayed on each and every one of them was perfect. Never in her career had she been involved with so many celebrities. It was exciting. It was as if every day was filled with some new challenge, and she loved that job with a vengeance. Michael Wayne had trusted her with the arrangements, and now she was in her element, talking to movie stars and well known singers, and arranging the packaging of products ready for the evening. Just one star in one of the Elida range costumes was enough to ensure success of the product. In this instance, all of the stars of movie and Rock 'n Roll had been gracious enough to agree to wearing the brand which was the focus of the pool party.
It was beyond all expectations that each star agreed and was ready to walk down the catwalk created by the pool while the buyers looked on. The caterers were arranged and the pool chosen for its luxurious setting. It would cost Wayne and Triple a fortune, though would assure them of successful marketing tactics which would win them the many fashion house contracts they were after. The competition was fierce and keeping all the costumes under wraps was vital to the evening. After all, people were fast to copy new and inventive designs. The whole design team was sworn to secrecy, and Wayne & Triple had signed a confidentiality agreement which ensured that no-one would see the costumes in advance, except those sporting them.
The pool was cleaned thoroughly. The tables were filled to overflowing with delicious foods to tempt and to tantalize. This was to be the best evening in the fashion industry calendar. Jennifer supervised the planning and made sure that the napkins were folded into little lilies and that the flower company delivered flowers which complimented the costumes. Everything had to be perfect. Everything had to be just as planned. The tiniest detail was not left to chance.
The press were alerted, and all the glossies had let them know that they would indeed attend. It was a huge event and the invitations included very influential people within the trade. Elida was to be the forerunner of all beachwear for the coming century, let alone season. The fabrics were specially chosen, and included innovative styles never used before in the history of swim wear. These were the elite of the elite, and the chosen recipients of each costume had been discussed and planned to show off those costumes at their very best.
In the packing room, Molly stood over the production line of boxing and packing, and thrilled at the sight of celebrity names. She hadn't slept much this week. It had been exciting to the point of being dizzy with anticipation, since all staff were to be invited. It seemed a little strange to her to be put on show with stars and glitz though the idea sent her off into dreams. Several times, Jennifer had had to snap her fingers to get Molly out of her state of euphoria. Everything had to be perfect. As she pasted the address labels onto each parcel, Molly thought of her part in what was to be a huge success, and an evening she would never forget.
Red carpets lay in place. Photographers arrived in droves. The cars pulled up in front of the hotel lobby, which led through huge corridors towards the pool. The attendants were ready to receive their guests and the whole world would share the evening through magazine and television coverage. Jennifer wore a neat little number in black. All staff had been asked to wear neutral and classic black styles, so as not to detract from the colors and vibrancy of the collection. Even the waiters and waitresses wore subtle outfits which blended into the background of the event.
Each star in turn arrived to the cheer of crowds, though the outfits were not to be worn until the orchestra started, since there was always a risk of the designs being copied. Hal White was the first to arrive. Jennifer felt her heart beat faster as this huge hunk of a man walked towards her. He asked where the changing rooms were, and as with other stars, she directed him towards that elegant room chosen for the collection. All of the stars had been asked to sport their costumes in the most natural way. These weren't average models, but people with known qualities for poise and presentation, and the dresser was not needed for such a prestigious occasion, simply because the celebrities knew how to make the whole evening work.
The buyers took to their seats. The photographers held their cameras at the ready. The public waited with baited breath as the curtains to the catwalk opened and the first celebrity hit the carpet, shoes firmly holding delicate feet. There was a gasp from the crowd, as one after one, each of the celebrities hit the catwalk, strutting their stuff. What no-one knew was that each had been sent their costume and assumed that the event was a charitable event in fancy dress. The ladies sported male costumes and the men sported female ones, flirting their attentions at flashing cameras.
Molly hid her face in shame. In the thrill of the moment, she realized with great embarrassment that each star had been sent someone else's costume. None fit correctly. None looked superb, but instead the cameras flashed at stars who looked amusingly arrayed in costumes made for the opposite sex. Even Hal White sported a bikini in style, winking at the cameras as he passed.
The tabloids were filled with photographs which showed colors and creations. What they didn't show was the classic style which Wayne & Triple had anticipated. The company waited for reaction to the pool incident. Little by little people responded, and the uproar of the event filled the newspapers, glossy magazines and fashion pages, using headlines which drew more attention than anticipated. Ingenious advertising tactics was one headline. The stars of the catwalk shouted another.
No-one had anticipated the response, though sales soared and orders rolled in to break all records. One incident which made the headlines changed the fashion industry for ever. Little known to anyone, another fashion house had arranged a similar event on the same day, with all the trimmings, though the photographs failed to hit the headlines, compared with those taken at the best and most successful pool party given by any advertising company in the history of fashion.