Teen Vogue, HP partner on concept store

Satiating teen girls’ appetite for fashion and innovative consumer technology, Teen Vogue magazine and Hewlett-Packard launched the Teen Vogue Spring Style Haute Spot concept store that “fuses fashion with function.”

The store, which opened its doors on March 28 at the Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, N.J., is considered an experiential showcase. Besides featuring the season’s fashion trends, the 3,600-sq.-ft. store also has a Spring Prom salon, hosts model casting calls and displays cutting-edge technology.

HP TouchSmart PCs, which are located throughout the store, enable shoppers to use an application that superimposes their photographs on the covers of Teen Vogue, print them or share them with friends online. Shoppers can also use the PCs to browse video archives of the MTV/Teen Vogue reality show, “The Hills.”

“One of the most significant shifts we’ve seen in the last few years is the emergence of technology as a fashion accessory, especially in the youth market,” says Laura McEwen, publisher, Teen Vogue. “Computers, cell phones, and other mobile devices have really become the next ‘it’ items. We chose to partner with HP because they understand how to blend technology and style [into their merchandise].”

 The store also invites shoppers to test HP Pavilion dv2 notebook PCs and the Vivienne Tam HP Mini 1000 digital clutch. The mini laptop resembles a clutch bag and features an embroidered sleeve designed by Tam.

“The technology we choose to carry is an expression of our personal style,” said Satjiv S. Chahil, senior VP worldwide marketing, personal systems group, HP, Palo Alto, Calif. “We’ve taken the personal computer from a necessity to a fashion accessory, combining form and function.”

The store will be open for one month.