Jaguar Land Rover North America at New York Fashion Week

Autumn may be in the air, but fashion is dominating the streets of New York as Fashion Week kicked off last week – and Jaguar Land Rover is adding fashion to its mix, writes Leah Watkins‑Hall, Corporate, Brand & Interactive Communications Manager, Jaguar Land Rover North America.

Jaguar served as the car of choice for rag & bone designers, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, who were chauffeured to their Men’s Spring 2011 fashion show in the all‑new Jaguar XJ. The show was well received and featured a combination of great music and energy, with rag & bones’ minimal but warm pieces being the focal point.

As young British designers, Marcus and David are a perfect fit for Jaguar because their customers, young and affluent tastemakers, are our customers. Marcus seemed particularly impressed when he walked up to the XJ. “I can't believe you are lending this to us to kick around in for the evening,” he told me.

This week, Range Rover will sponsor Marchesa’s Spring 2011 fashion show at Chelsea Art Museum. The partnership marks the beginning of a very exciting global project which we will be announcing in the very near future. Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman's style and design credentials make her a fantastic partner to the Range Rover brand, and after seeing Heidi Klum and Kim Kardashian in Marchesa at the Emmys, I can not wait to see what's in store for Spring.

Both Jaguar and Land Rover are a natural fit for Fashion Week, whether in N.Y. or in Paris, because that is where our customers are. They are opulent and stylish yes, but more importantly, they have a strong sense of aesthetic and individuality.

Design is also a huge part of our cars and that design is so heavily influenced by fashion, whether it is Savile Row tailors or the mauveine coloring found in the XJ Supersport, Range Rovers and Jaguars have a place in fashion. And while we are making a tiny dent this year, we look to carve out a space for both brands at Fashion Weeks to come.

Continue to follow Interactive Jaguar and Interactive Land Rover for more updates, news and photos from New York Fashion Week.