Pilot Pen Celebrates Self-Expression At New York Fashion Week

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pilot Corporation of America is making a unique statement about the power of the pen while 'making writing fashionable again' during New York Fashion Week, which begins on September 4th. Pilot is participating in a number of initiatives ranging from a designer partnership culminating in a Lincoln Center runway show, a celebrity gifting lounge, a consumer give-away through Extra TV and a charitable partnership with Dress for Success®.

Nicholas K Opening Show at NYFW, Lincoln Center- September 4

Pilot is kicking off Fashion Week with a striking collaboration with fashion designer Nicholas K.  This collaboration will bring to life the beauty and power of writing instruments in an entirely new way - a one of a kind Nicholas K runway dress, featuring a one of a kind Pilot pen, will grace the runway during the opening show of Fashion Week at Lincoln Center.  The Nicholas K designed asymmetrical mini dress, appliquéd front and back with more than 200 Pilot FriXion Clicker pens, was inspired by female explorers of the 18^th century and in part by the modern, sleek design of the Pilot FriXion Clicker.

"For years, Pilot has been telling people how writing expresses more than just your words—it expresses your own personal style. What better way to make that point than with Nicolas K's fabulous runway dress?" said Ariann Langsam, Director of Consumer Marketing for Pilot Corporation of America. "Think about it:  fashion is art and writing is art. Put them together and you have a masterpiece—a Nicolas K original dress adorned with Pilot FriXion Clicker erasable gel ink pens gliding down the runway at Lincoln Center. It's a unique statement about the power of the pen." 

FriXion Clicker is a completely new kind of erasable pen; it is America's first retractable, erasable gel ink pen designed to write well and erase well. It has a thermo-sensitive gel ink formula—and that means that when you rub the eraser across the words it creates a heat, and that heat makes the words disappear from the page. Fashion show attendees will be gifted an array of FriXion Clicker pens – the perfect writing accessory to keep them organized and stylish.

Extra TV Segment & Pilot Pen Giveaway

The Nicholas K FriXion Clicker inspired dress will be featured in a segment on Extra TV airing on national syndicated networks. Pilot is partnering with Extra to give viewers the opportunity to share in this aspect of NYFW, by sponsoring a 'Making Writing Fashionable Again' sweepstakes and prizing. The prizes include an assortment of the smooth writing, clean erasing FriXion Clicker pens featured on the Nicholas K runway dress, and a selection of strikingly elegant MR Animal Collection fountain and gel ink pens which add a touch of the exotic to all of your writing. The MR Animal Collection combines premium matte finishes enhanced with animal print designs and stainless steel accents for a striking look and superior writing performance.

Visit Extratv.com to check out how Pilot is making writing fashionable again and enter to win.

Pilot's New York Fashion Week initiatives will also be featured on nationally syndicated morning show The Better Show airing September 11.

Dress for Success
During the month of September Pilot is also teaming up with Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged women gain financial independence by providing career advice workshops, a support network, and business appropriate clothing. Pilot will be donating professional interview kits, Pilot pens, and folios to Dress for Success, along with hand-written messages of encouragement. Pilot will be collecting some of those messages from celebrities during Fashion Week.  Pilot will also be donating funds through a social media campaign they've launched; Pilot is asking anyone who wants to help to join them in the effort.  Pilot will donate $5 to Dress for Success for every social media share. To help women write the next chapter in their lives, visit Pilot on Facebook and Twitter.

GBK Productions Style Lounge at the Empire Hotel- September 5-6 
To celebrate New York Fashion Week, GBK will host a celebrity gift and styling lounge at the Empire Hotel featuring a range of luxury and fashion oriented items including Pilot's exceptional, high quality writing instruments.  Celebrities, stylists, designers, and fashion influencers get to 'Write on the Wild Side' by experiencing the finely crafted MR Animal Collection, and be 'fashionable and flawless' with the first-ever retractable and erasable FriXion Clicker gel ink pen.  Visitors will be given the opportunity to 'pen it forward', by writing hand-written notes of encouragement that will be included in interview kits that Pilot is providing to Dress for Success, and by helping Pilot raise funds for this organization by sharing the fundraising video through social media.

Follow Pilot's adventures at New York Fashion Week on Facebook.com/PilotPen, Twitter and Instagram @PilotPenUSA #PenItFWD.

About Pilot Corporation of America
Pilot Pen offers superlative writing instruments renowned for quality, performance, cutting-edge technology and consumer satisfaction.  Widely acknowledged as innovators, Pilot was first to introduce Americans to fine-point writing and currently maintains the top share position in the gel and rolling ball pen categories.  Pilot's product offering also includes the acclaimed Dr. Grip family of products, featuring an ergonomic, wide comfort grip that reduces writing fatigue; the G2, America's No. 1- selling gel ink pen; as well as the notable Precise V5/V7 lines. Pilot Pen manufactures and distributes from its state-of-the-art 305,000 square foot facility in Jacksonville, FL.  Its parent company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of writing instruments in Japan.  For more visit www.pilotpen.us.

About Nicholas K
Shaped around the principal of nomadism, Nicholas K built a brand that could be worn beyond each season and could be integrated seamlessly into the lives of consumers whether it was a busy day at the office, a chic night out or a relaxing weekend getaway. Branded the "Urban Nomad" Nicholas K collection is influenced by the street and the utilitarian brilliance of uniforms to invent a new platform of luxurious everyday sportswear with an urban edge. A member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since 2009 and opening show of IMG Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York since 2011, Nicholas K is consistently featured in the most coveted publications around the globe including Esquire, Details, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, Lucky, The New York Times Magazine and i-D. Most notably, last year, our "Nova" jacket was selected to appear in the blockbuster movie  "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and worn extensively by the Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence herself in the movie.  Collaboration with the movie stylists continues for the upcoming sequels.  

About Dress for Success
Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 135 cities in 16 countries. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 775,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

SOURCE Pilot Corporation of America