Having conquered the pop music scene, Lady Gaga has moved on to more fashionable endeavors by infiltrating Barneys New York’s Madison Avenue flagship store. The unpredictable songstress has converted the space into Gaga’s Workshop, her avant-garde interpretation of Santa’s workshop and a wonderland of eccentricities. Though all are invited to see the spectacle, only a select few will be granted VIP admittance with the coveted golden ticket – an extraordinary invitation conceptualized and produced by Design Packaging, Inc.Approached by Barneys New York, Design Packaging, Inc. was challenged with the impossible: deliver a show-stopping invitation worthy of bearing the Barneys name while enticing Lady Gaga fans in just 8 short weeks.Ideation began immediately. Working closely with Creative Director Evelio Mattos the design team sketched a series of concepts which emulated Gaga’s Workshop in its most basic form - an iconic Barneys’ facade literally exploding with an unexpected Gaga visual spectacular. Within hours of receiving direction from Barneys New York, these illustrations became 3 dimensional mock-up samples complete with functioning pop-up details.As soon as approval of the favored design was given, Design Packaging, Inc. began forming the invitation’s visual design. To ensure a cohesive feel from workshop to invitation, the pre-approved color palette and patterns were utilized. By deconstructing AVAF’s artwork, Design Packaging, Inc. reinterpreted key graphic elements for the pop-up’s illustration. Bewitching finger nails became trusses. The red sequined bodysuit and blue hair became panels of the pop-up and a dynamic backdrop for a clear VIP access card glistening with a holographic hot stamp.Without the luxury of proofing time, Barneys New York entrusted Design Packaging, Inc. to deliver this invitation without seeing a final preproduction proof for color, materials, construction, or structural integrity. So, incorporating the approved palette provided color targets for Design Packaging, Inc.’s Hong Kong office to match on press and proved to be a critical design decision since the timeline did not allow for complete preproduction samples.Even before production was finished, Design Packaging, Inc. began coordinating with Barneys New York’s logistics team. This helped facilitate delivery of the Gaga’s Workshop VIP invitations 1 week earlier than required.
