Stoneleigh will open its Wonder of Nature garden at 89 Quay Street, Queen’s Wharf, Auckland, New Zealand, from February 28 to March 8, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. It’s a dose of experiential marketing for the New Zealand wine label, bringing urban consumers closer to the brand.
   The suspended garden, designed by Jules Moore, promises to be a ‘multi-sensory experience’. The garden features sounds from the Stoneleigh vineyards in Marlborough, as recorded by Grammy Award-winning artist Paul McLaney. McLaney has reworked them into a unique soundscape. This complements the visual backdrop, giving visitors a sense of being in the vineyards in the summer.
   And what better way to extend the experience than to enjoy Stoneleigh wine in the garden? Winemaker Jamie Marfell (below) invites visitors to enjoy a glass while there. Entry is for 18 and over only.
   For those who cannot get to the garden itself, Stoneleigh has launched its Small Wonder of Nature app, where users can create their own part of nature, customize their photo and upload it to the gallery. All entries will be in to win a Stoneleigh Marlborough experience.

It’s often hard to beat experiential marketing, and Jacob’s Creek knows this. Just like some of the exclusive wine-themed boutiques internationally, Blend by Jacob’s Creek will be open between January 29 and February 15 from 12 p.m. at Takutai Square in Britomart, Auckland, New Zealand, giving customers a chance to blend a wine perfectly matched to their palate. As it’s summer Down Under, it’s a perfect way to connect Jacob’s Creek with summer entertaining.
   A professional winemaker will be on hand to work with both connoisseurs and amateurs to create the blends. The price is $20, and includes a 750 ml bottle of the unique blended wine, complete with personalized label, to take away.
   The base wines on offer are shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and grenache in the reds, and sauvignon blanc, moscato, chardonnay and pinot gris in the whites. The entire process can take as little as 15 minutes.
   Melissa Butler, Jacob’s Creek’s marketing manager, notes that one can create 548 different wines with the bases. ‘We identified that many people are interested to learn about and appreciate wine, but there’s so much information out there it can be hard to digest. We think the best place to start is with what you like, because everyone has a unique palate.’
   And for those who can’t be at Britomart for the experience, Jacob’s Creek launches a virtual blend bar, at www.jacobscreekblend.co.nz. It’s not quite the same, but it will allow online enthusiasts to make their own virtual wine blends.

A lot of products have celebrity endorsers these days, but we never expected to see Scarlett Johansson flog Sodastream. But it is official, with the Golden Globe nominee and Tony Award winner announced Saturday as the face of Sodastream, with the first TVC featuring the actress going out during the Super Bowl in the US on February 2.
   The official release says Johansson is already a long-time Sodastream user. CEO Daniel Birnbaum adds that she is ‘a role model for healthy body image and a champion for environmental responsibility, making her the perfect choice for our global ambassador. She truly embodies our brand values and we are honoured to have her join our team.’
   The company is pushing a healthy, independent and environmentally friendly image with its latest marketing, stressing that its soda mixes generally contain two-thirds less sugar and calories than other carbonated beverages. By having a reusable bottle, it reduces the waste from other beverages’ plastic bottles and cans.
   Sodastream says it is ‘confident that in her role as global ambassador, Johansson will help consumers embrace home soda making as the future of the beverage industry.’
   The televised Super Bowl match reaches some 100 million viewers.
   Johansson is no stranger to celebrity endorsements: she signed up with Dolce & Gabbana in 2009, and appeared in a Martin Scorsese-directed film for Dolce & Gabbana, alongside Matthew McConaughey last year. She has also fronted for Calvin Klein, Mango, L’Oréal, and Louis Vuitton.

While we had our newsmakers, what else summed up 2013 in the fashion business?
   In a nutshell: Marc Jacobs’ departure from Louis Vuitton after 16 years and his last show at Paris Fashion Week, the return of Tom Ford and a big show to London, the revival of Schiaparelli under Christian Lacroix, the return of grunge on the streets and the catwalks, the Met-inspired revival of punk, the exhibitions on Azzedine Alaïa at Palais Galliera, Chanel at the Palais de Tokyo and Christian Dior at the Grand Palais, Ralph Lauren’s restoration and patron sponsorship of L’École des Beaux-Arts and Fendi’s restoration of the Fontana di Trevi, under Karl Lagereld and Silvia Venturini Fendi.
   There were also more films promoting fashion this year, and while promotional in motive, they have increasingly become works of art. Kenzo had its Electric Jungle by Mat Maitland and directors Smith & Read, Fendi at the Palazzo Farnese, Miu Miu’s dancing women, Martin Scorsese directing Scarlett Johansson and Matthew McConaughey for Dolce & Gabbana’s The One, Sienna Miller and fiancé Tom Sturridge for Burberry, Monica Bellucci for Dolce & Gabbana, and Wes Anderson directing his film for Prada. Karl Lagerfeld’s astonishing works for Chanel get special mention, revealing more each season about the history of la maison.
   Our final video shows this year’s most intriguing fashion show scenery, featuring Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Rick Owens, Vionnet, Rodarte, Jason Wu, Yves Saint Laurent, Proenza Schuler, Antonio Berardi, Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, Moncler Gamme Rouge, Hermès, Kenzo, Alexander McQueen, Prada, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and Chanel.

Supermodel Kate Moss has continued her connection to Stuart Weitzman, this time modelling for its spring 2014 advertising campaign with images by Mario Testino.
   The chief image is simple, shot in black and white and with Moss donning Stuart Weitzman’s latest minimalist heel, called ‘The Nudist’. Her make-up has a nude look, and her one-piece swimsuit is also basic, in a single, dark shade. The Nudist design, features an 11 cm heel, in either black or Pan goose-bump nappa, with a leather footbed and sole. The company calls the sandal design ‘as close to bare as a fashionable foot can get.’
   Moss débuted as the face of Stuart Weitzman for its spring 2013 campaign, chosen for her recognition as ‘a global style icon’.
   The campaign will roll out in the US, Italy, France, England, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Spain and across Asia. Outdoor advertising will appear in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Milano, Paris and Hong Kong. Its website will feature video and additional creative.
   Moss has appeared in campaigns this year for St Tropez and Rimmel, among others, and continues to attract international brands. She was honoured last month at the British Fashion Awards for her 25-year career.

Shiseido’s Joico brand has teamed up with artist Bella Pilar, who will create a series of illustrations through 2014 promoting its milestone events, hair care products and accessories.
   Pilar’s illustrations will be seen through Joico’s website, banners, PR and social media, promoting its breast cancer awareness initiatives, holiday collections and other special occasions. They will appear on marketing collateral including Iphone cases, tote bags, sunglass and make-up cases, point-of-sale signage and other items.
   Joico calls Pilar, ‘An artist with a rich imagination,’ with artwork that depicts ‘whimsical women who evoke a fashion-forward and inspirational ethos.
   ‘Bella’s characters are widely known for their style, joie de vivre and refinement—a perfect fit for a hair care brand known for their head turning artistic skills. Her artwork has wide appeal to today’s beauty aficionados, which is what makes this partnership a natural fit for the brand.’
   Damien Carney, international artistic director for Joico, says, ‘Bella’s work is exquisite, exotic, sassy, coy, fun, and fresh all in one. She has a magnetic energy that pulls people in through her signature designs. She will play an integral role in making this campaign memorable and wildly successful.’
   Pilar says, ‘I knew that creating art would be a part of my life forever, but I feel honoured that it has led me down such an amazing path to opportunities like this collaboration … I look forward to finding new inspiration and taking artistic cues from the brand throughout this partnership.’

L’Oréal Paris has announced that model Lara Stone, 29, has joined its family of “signature faces”, with the French cosmetics company calling her a modern-day Bardot and an “anti-model” who stands out among the crowd.
   Cyril Chapuy, L’Oréal Paris’s international managing director, calls Stone ‘a true modern icon. Her sensual beauty, her edginess, and her rebelliousness contribute to a strong, talented woman. And yet she remains incredibly sincere, real, sensitive and funny. I love her iconoclastic style, which stands out among the collections. We are delighted to welcome this exceptional young Mum to the brand.’
   Stone was born to an English father and a Dutch mother, and was discovered at the age of 12 during a family holiday. In 2006, her career took off when she was chosen to model for Givenchy. She has appeared on the haute couture catwalks for Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Lanvin and Fendi. She had also signed an exclusive contract with Calvin Klein and was even the subject of her own issue of Vogue Paris.
   In a release, Stone says that L’Oréal Paris ‘is a brand that has always known that beauty and personality are inseparable.’
   She gave birth to a son in May. Stone is married to the comedian David Walliams.
   She will model make-up, hair care and hair colouring, says the company.
   Other current L’Oréal Paris faces include Beyoncé Knowles, Doutzen Krœs, Eva Longoria, Laetitia Casta, Freida Pinto, Julianne Moore, Hugh Laurie and Jane Fonda.

Photographer and filmmaker Peter Lindbergh has created the promotional video for Zilli, a family-owned menswear label in France.
   The campaign, which the label originally featured in May, is for the brand’s autumn–winter 2013–14 collection and features Aaron Young, wearing clothing and accessories, including jewellery, eyewear and shoes, from the label.
   The company informed Lucire and other media of the accompanying video this week. It can be viewed at www.zilli.fr/campagne-2013-2014/.
   Young is described by Zilli as ‘the young prodigy of the New York art scene.’ The campaign was shot in Paris, with art direction by Magnus Naddermier.
   Zilli says its claim to fame is the luxury leather jacket, which has been a reference for its other designs since. The campaign plays on this, focusing on the details of a Zilli jacket and lighting it slowly.
   Lindbergh began working for Vogue in the late 1970s after moving to Paris, and was the first to shoot a cover for Anna Wintour after she was made editor-in-chief in 1988.