Mark Testa

6 Tips for Styling Your Modeling Portfolio Presentation | MapsStudio NYC Want your modeling portfolio to make an unforgettable impact? MapsStudio NYC reveals 6 pro styling tips to elevate your presentation—everything from layout consistency and clean backgrounds, to smart wardrobe choices and image sequencing. Implement them and watch your portfolio turn heads. 👉 Read full article: https://mapsstudio.nyc/ #MapsstudioNYC #ModelingPortfolio #PortfolioStyling #ModelingTips #PresentationDesign #ModelLife #VisualBranding #PortfolioAdvice #FashionModels #PhotographyPresentation

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Can Misirlioglu, ECD of Design at CYLNDR Studios, stopped by Library180 to flip through a collection of vintage NYC restaurant ads and talk about what actually makes them work. From confident negative space to hand-drawn type and ads that feel made in the moment, he shares why simplicity, restraint, and vibe still hit harder than overthinking. Watch the video for his take on timeless food advertising. Check out the book: https://lnkd.in/eT2p5RkU

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GSP USA Fernando Machado on how true creativity builds brands, why ‘safe’ is risky, and what today’s creatives should focus on. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dnhhZeMb Interview by Raahil Chopra

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This is an unexpected collaboration. Best Buy and IKEA teaming up for a store within a store concept in 10 Florida and Texas locations. According to the announcement “This partnership between IKEA and Best Buy is about making great design and functionality more accessible for the many,” said Rob Olson, chief operation officer, IKEA U.S. “By bringing together our home furnishing expertise, products, and services with Best Buy’s leadership in appliances and technology, we’re creating a one-stop destination where customers can design their dream kitchen, storage solutions or laundry space with ease. It’s a great step on our journey to helping people create beautiful, functional homes at a price they can afford.”  

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Lippincott's latest installment in the Looking Vertically series explores how QSR brands can cultivate loyalty as an experience and enhance craveability through cultural relevance:​ https://bit.ly/3IbT7Lh

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Recent headlines– Zulu Alpha Kilo makes big creative addition to NYC office / Inside the bubble: Max Valiquette’s lessons learned on Parliament Hill / All WPP employees must become “AI superusers,” says new CEO Cindy Rose at NYC town hall / LePub head creative, co-president departs following Cannes scandal / ICA - Institute of Canadian Agencies hires Paul Tedesco as its first-ever head of effectiveness

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"It's really up to your wildest dreams, and we can make it happen." That's our Design Director Tricia Parsons, quoted in Advertising Specialty Institute's new article on fully custom apparel. Our Technical Designer Terrence O'Brian Henderson is in there too, breaking down what it actually takes to turn a 2D concept into something real: "We have to consider fit, we have to consider function, we have to consider fabric. Trying to hold it all together is a tightrope walk." Together, they lead the custom work that turns client ideas into products that don't exist anywhere else—engineering reversible linings, adjusting batting, tweaking pocket placement until it's perfect. It also takes an eye for what’s on trend to make your swag relevant to what’s happening today. Imagine creating something so exciting, you see it marked way up on eBay. It’s flattering. That’s what should be expected with thoughtfully designed and crafted custom swag. The article digs into why fully custom matters: brand storytelling, color consistency across large programs, and creating pieces people are proud to wear. Good read for anyone thinking beyond the catalog. https://hubs.li/Q043pgCd0 #KotisCustom #customswag #brandedmerch

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Creative Planning acquired $1 billion California firm Monterey Private Wealth, Inc., led by CRISTOFER CABANILLAS, Gary Alt, and Stephen Merrill. Creative Planning’s Peter Mallouk comments https://lnkd.in/gdkSJmvv #Mergers #WealthSolutionsReport #FinancialAdvisors #WealthManagement

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Special’s latest creative moves in New York represent both a reunion and a rethink. The agency has named Kasia Canning and Estefanio Holtz as co-executive creative directors to lead the New York creative department. The move reunites the former partners, who teamed up on award-winning projects at BBH New York from 2021 to 2023—including launching Google’s Black-Owned Friday—before Canning left for stints at Maximum Effort and Ogilvy. (Holtz remained at BBH, rising to become co-head of creative in New York.) This organizational change reflects the agency’s structure elsewhere in the world, said Special U.S. CEO Kelsey Hodgkin. “We’ve had various different experiments with how to make it work in New York,” Hodgkin said. “I think what we kind of discovered is it’s best to have one central leadership team in each country, and a second office reporting into them, rather than having two leadership teams of equal weighting. When you’ve got so many leaders, it’s like, who’s actually defining the vision?” 📲 Read the full story from Tim Nudd: https://lnkd.in/g2DYZQJt

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Had an inspiring conversation with Michael Steinberg, a true creative force and brand strategist who’s shaped the streetwear scene for over 25 years. From designing custom pieces for Charles Oakley and helping launch DIESEL’s first U.S. store, to building global streetwear icons like Triple 5 Soul and LRG, Mike’s journey is all about vision, grit, and adapting to change. We talked about: ✅ How early collaborations with cultural legends opened new doors in fashion. ✅ Lessons learned from building streetwear brands that left a mark on global culture. ✅ The evolution from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce—and what it means for brand storytelling today. ✅ Why Trail Network, Mike’s latest venture, is redefining destination retail with quick-turn, high-impact collections for some of the world’s biggest names. Packed with insights on creativity, branding, and the future of apparel. Full episode link in the comments! #Streetwear #BrandStrategy #ApparelIndustry #CreativeLeadership

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Major U.S. retailer Target has announced a $2 billion plan to modernize its retail operations using artificial intelligence, including improvements in apparel design and trend prediction. The company’s new AI system, called “Trend Brain,” analyzes consumer data and fashion trends to help teams develop clothing collections faster and respond to changing customer preferences The initiative also includes opening new stores, remodeling existing locations, and upgrading digital tools for employees. Target executives say AI will help accelerate product development, improve inventory management, and enhance the shopping experience for fashion customers in the United States https://lnkd.in/gt3HzPm9

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BARNES & NOBEL IS GROWING WITH A NEW FOCUS & STRATEGY OF EXPERIENCIAL RETAIL This concept of highly flexible store designs, with a localized, indie bookstore atmosphere, with curated layouts, themed tables, and a books-first merchandising strategy, demonstrates how legacy brands can reinvent themselves as experience-led traffic drivers in today’s evolving retail landscape. Experience retail becomes a driver for shopping centers and districts because it's not just about buying things; it's about having a tour, a discovery experience of different environments within a store that change over time. https://lnkd.in/gTzD6CmK

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Architect Claire Weisz of WXY shares insights on which tactical design measures can make NYC subway stations feel safer, more responsive, and comfortable. "These aren’t billion-dollar fixes, they’re immediate, measurable interventions (like well-placed mirrors) that can redefine a rider’s experience," Weisz tells Archinect. "We're showing that safety is as much psychological as it is statistical." 🔗 The full story https://lnkd.in/giHcse4Q

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Tela CEO Gabrielle Sarah Drew looks at how the lifestyle lens can lead to products that power community and connection. #brandsuntapped #licensing #design #brandextension https://lnkd.in/dZRSd-2b

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