Smart Set, who you probably know for its prim workwear separates and 2-4-1 promos, has announced a provocative 2013 summer music festival sponsorship in Ontario and Quebec. Throughout the summer months and beyond, Canadian consumers will see Smart Set embrace an energetic and innovative new objective, including a fun on-the-ground presence (read: a travelling confetti-filled bubble disco) at Canada’s hottest electronic music events like Digital Dreams (June 29 & 30, Toronto), Escapade (June 29 & 30, July 1, Ottawa), and Piknic Electronik (May 19 & 20, June 23 & 24, August 31, September 1 & 2, Montreal).
In the past few months, Smart Set has funnelled massive time, money and energy into redesigning its brand, no doubt in a bid to go after the hipster crowd and their increasingly disposable income. Smart move. While the music festival sponsorship is just one step in the brand’s new commitment, shoppers will also notice larger-than-life graphics in display windows, innovative displays and trendier merchandise, featuring a finely curated collection of colourful styles and prints.
Graphic tees, short shorts and candy-coloured accessories now fill the shelves, while prominent hashtags and mantras — “Life’s too short to wear boring clothes” — signify its embrace of more social media channels alongside its music festival collaborations.
And it’s with that collaboration that I’ve compiled a collection of some music festival must-haves and survival tools to prepare you for wherever those wild summer weekends take you…
1. Smart Set straw fedora; $18; 2. Caudalie organic grape water facial spray; $10; 3. Ombrelle face cream SPF 60; $14.99 (never underestimate the anti-aging power of SPF!); 4. Smart Set colour block and striped scarf; $12; 5. David’s Tea Some Velvet Morning tea; $7.50 (for the morning after a wild night); 6. Ancient Greek Sandals; $240; 7. Mini-wipes in lime; $2 (do I dare say a replacement for soap and water?)
