Etihad Airways debuts Runway to Runway video at NYFW

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Sep 11, 2017

Etihad Airways on Thursday kicked off NYFW with the launch of its Runway to Runway fashion video.

 
The Runway to Runway video supports the airline’s rewards program of the same name that is designed to support the fashion industry’s travel arrangements. The program, which launched in February 2017, offers the fashion industry’s frequent flyers with corporate rates for business travel, discounted cargo rates and special group travel rates for those traveling for photo shoots, meetings and fashion weeks.
 
The video, which was shot by Paul Butterworth, captures the parallels between the preparation for flights and fashion shows. Butterworth directed the video to be in one continuous shot to best showcase the fast-paced energy of the backstage and to keep true to the script of airline safety announcements.

“The fashion industry traverses the globe more than maybe most industries in the world,” said Patrick Pierce, Etihad VP of Marketing Partnerships. “We want to serve their travel needs as business professionals but also in their leisure interests."
 
Since launching in February, the Runway to Runway program amassed up to 3,500 members, including some of the staff from Vogue Arabia. Though the program was exclusive when it launched, Pierce explained that he expects it to broaden over time.
 
“[Runway to Runway] has editors and photographers out of local publications and also online networks,” Pierce said. “I can’t share them, but it’s not meant to be overly exclusive. It started that way In February when we launched here in New York, but it’s going to broaden now to be much more global and a bigger community."
 
Etihad partnered British designer Julien MacDonald, who lent 17 of his ensembles for the IMG models that appeared in the video.

 
“When Etihad asked me if they could borrow dresses from me,” explained MacDonald, “I said there is only one of each dress in the world. They travel a lot and incredible people wear them.”
 
Beyoncé, Madonna, Kim Kardashian, and Gigi and Bella Hadid wore a number of the ensembles in the video.
 
MacDonald said jokingly, “They said, ‘if these dresses are good enough for them then I think it’ll be good enough for this,’ and I said I guess so.”


 
The Runway to Runway video debuted at Skylight Clarkson Square will be shown on all Etihad Airways flights in the fall.