Project Spotlight: TAG Heuer Announces Bella Hadid as Ambassador

XP Retail was happy to have our Matrix Frame products as part of TAG Heuer's latest Ambassador Announcement! XP Retail supplied both the graphics and Matrix Frames for the step and repeat background for the event.

Here's the full scoop on TAG's exciting announcement:

Manhattan, New York, 13 February 2017 - Does Bella Hadid really need any introduction? Last year was a banner year for the young American top model who, from tomorrow, will be the new female face of luxury Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer.

Voted "Model of the Year" in December 2016, this fashion icon had the fastest growing fan-base of followers on social media networks in 2016; now a rising star in the world of fashion, she is handling the demands of her extraordinary lifestyle and stratospheric fame with poise and maturity. She knows exactly what she wants, what she likes, and what she wants to achieve.

At the tender age of 20, beautiful Bella has chosen to work with TAG Heuer; this is not just an opportunity for the luxury Swiss watch brand to welcome a fresh, young face, but also for the model to collaborate on projects which relate directly to one of her favourite hobbies: photography.

With 10 million followers on social media, she has learnt how to express herself through images, sometimes light and subtle, sometimes profound and mysterious, but always with a clear artistic sense which is deeply personal. She speaks the language of the Millennials, the generation with whom the Swiss watch brand is currently reconnecting, driven by its CEO Jean-Claude Biver, also Chairman of the Watch Division of LVMH Group.

At the event, Jean-Claude Biver said: "I am delighted to welcome Bella into the family of TAG Heuer ambassadors. Having Bella on the team enables me to reconnect TAG Heuer with the Millennials and young generations, and also with the brand's avant-garde spirit, the spirit which drives us to do things differently, to innovate and to dare. The TAG Heuer family has a real team spirit. We need someone like Bella to help us capture the bold and confident spirit of young people today. Thank you for joining us, Bella, welcome to the team!"

Cass Bird added: “Bella is one of my all time favorite women! Beautiful and completely present; one of my dream subjects and a total muse for me. She makes everyone feel welcome on set. Hands down one of the best in the industry! " The venue for the event – Equinox Bond Street, the trendsetting fitness club used during New York Fashion Week – was also a fine choice: the pretty blue-eyed brunette confidently showed off her perfect body, right at home in the gym! TAG Heuer's #DontCrackUnderPressure tagline fits her perfectly.

Project Spotlight: Belk Stage Backdrop

This February Belk, is gathering all of their managers for their seasonal meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center. XP Retail was given the task to produce the grand backdrop for the main stage. The custom backdrop measured 32 feet wide and a towering 23.5 feet tall, and has six windows with supports to hold six styled mannequins. The contrast between the pink wall and the white and blue outfits fit a Belk themed event perfectly.

Project Details: Matrix Frame Profile 120, shadow box profile and support bar aluminum extrusions were used to construct the frame. The frame was first test built in the Matrix Frame warehouse before being broken down and re-constructed onsite. Once the XP Retail crew had assembled the frame in the Convention Ballroom, the printed graphic was installed and shadow box profile was used to finish off the front of the windows. It took a crew of 12 people to lift the frame onto the stage and connect it to the stage rigging where it was elevated into place. With the frame standing in place, additional supports and a blockout backer was added. Finally, window openings were trimmed and support brackets were installed to allow the mannequins to be set in place revealing the full effect of the display.

Project Spotlight: Century 21 Department Stores

Century 21 Department Stores, established in 1961, is legendary for its exceptional offering of pure designer merchandise in every category up to 65% off retail every day. Primarily based the Northeast they recently embarked on their first location in Florida at Sawgrass Mills Mall.

For this new location Century 21 wanted to highlight not only their great savings and department signs, but draw attention to their online shopping, social media and credit card program. High color graphics in light boxes were used to highlight these items and key locations such as entrances and archways were chosen to grab attention. Clean, white, double-sided, back lit graphics were chosen to provide easy department location finders throughout the store. The new store looks amazing and is sure to draw attention in their new market location.

Project Details: Profile 100 and 200 Matrix Frame aluminum extrusion system with silicone edge fabric graphics (SEG) printed by dye sublimation on their exclusive Luxx fabric. Light boxes utilized LED’s that can remain on continuously without generating heat. Frame and graphic installation by XP Retail.

Belk Bowl Innovation Lab

The 2016 Belk Bowl Innovation Lab Contest offered local schools in Mecklenburg and Union counties the opportunity to remodel and upgrade the technology in their current media center to create a more welcoming, innovative learning space. The renovations included an open, flexible floor plan that can be arranged to create private work stations or large group gatherings, easy to move desks, chairs, tables and more. Cornelius Elementary School, the 2016 Belk Bowl Innovation Lab winner, won a $100,000 media center remodel that was completed prior to the start of the 2016 school year.  XP Retail is proud to have participated in this year's Belk Bowl Innovation Lab Project providing signs, art, and light boxes for the project.

Project Spotlight: Charlotte Hornets Player Wall

When outfitting out the arena for the Charlotte Hornets, XP Retail worked with the organization to come up with an easier, more cost efficient way to change out their player wall. With each new seasons players will change and the vinyl wall they had previously was not only expensive to change, but difficult to get the art work to match up with where the previous player was located.

The Solution: XP Retail installed 15 Profile 26 side by side Matrix Frames with black powder coated aluminum spacers. These graphics looked great and were easily changed out this season to accommodate the new players with a seamless presentation. The use of fabric graphics additionally eliminated glare giving a clear view of the players wall from any angle.