NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- StyleCaster Media Group has teamed up with Ford Motor Company and 92nd Street Y to launch the inaugural State of Style Summit on February 7, 2012.

Kicking off New York Fashion Week, the summit will unite industry leaders and tastemakers to discuss the relationship between style and design, consumer purchase behavior and trends in the digital age. At the summit, StyleCaster will debut the State of Style report, in partnership with Empirica Research.

The State of Style, which 92Y will present at its downtown location, 92YTribeca, will bring together a dynamic community of top-level style, retail and beauty executives to pursue one shared goal: to unlock the communication and design potential of new media.

Through provocative panels, Q&As and new consumer research, the sessions will provide comprehensive insight into emerging consumer trends in the fashion, beauty and style space.  Speakers include:

• Albert Azout, Founder and CEO of Sociocast Networks, @Sociocast
• Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder and CMO, Gilt Groupe, @GiltAlexandra
• Aliza Licht, SVP Global Comm, Donna Karan International, @DKNY
• Anthony Prozzi, Senior Interior Designer, Ford Motor Company, @Ford
• Aslaug Magnusdottir, Co-Founder and CEO, Moda Operandi, @modaoperandi
• Brent Poer, EVP and Creative Director, LiquidThread NA, @LiquidThread
• Catherine Moellering, EVP, Tobe Report of Doneger Group, @TheTobeReport
• Darren Herman, Chief Digital Media Officer, The Media Kitchen, @DHerman76
• Gretchen Harnick, Marketing Professor, Parsons, @Parsons560
• Lauren Bush, CEO and co-founder, FEED, @LaurenBushTweet
• Lauren Indvik, Media and Fashion Editor, Mashable, @LaurenI
• MazdackRassi, Creative Director at Milk Studios, @MilkStudios
• Mike Indursky, President of BlissSpa, @BlissSpa
• Neil Blumenthal, Co-CEO and co-founder, Warby Parker, @NeilBlumenthal
• Oliver Laubscher, Global Director, WPP GroupM Initiative, @WPP
• Rebecca Minkoff and Uri Minkoff, @RebeccaMinkoff
• Scott Lipps, E! Scouted, CEO of ONE Model Management, @ScottLipps
• Sean Carasso, CEO and founder, Falling Whistles, @FallingWhistles
• Sheryl Connelly, Manager of Ford Global Trends and Futuring, @Ford
• Simon Isaacs, Founder and CEO, TaskForce, @Simonisaacs
• Simone Bridges Oliver, Fashion Editor, New York Times, @SimoneSOliver
• Stacy London, TLC's What Not To Wear, co-founder of Style For Hire, NBC's TODAY Show expert, @StacyLondonSays
• Steve Davis, President of Rue La La, @RueLaLa
• Tom Florio, Former IMG executive and SVP and publishing director at Vogue, Teen Vogue, Conde Nast Traveler & Bon Appetit
• Van Dyke Lewis, Fiber Science and Design Professor, Cornell University, @cornell_univ
• Willie Greene, Editor-in-Chief, WeTheUrban, @WeTheUrban
• More speakers to be announced

Each session will kick off with a key finding from the State of Style report, which StyleCaster commissioned in partnership with Empirica Research. Empirica's highly esteemed PHD fellows used extensive crowd-sourcing methods in order to unveil unprecedented projections for design, branding, and purchasing trends among style consumers. The full State of Style report will be available for purchase on-site and at www.stylecaster.com/state-of-style thereafter.

"Since the inception of StyleCaster, we have viewed it as our responsibility to kick down the doors of Fashion Week and bring people inside," says Ari Goldberg, CEO and founder of StyleCaster Media Group. "The State of Style Summit epitomizes everything we believe. Alongside best-of-breed partners like Ford Motor Company and 92Y, we have created a platform for meaningful discussion that fosters the counterpoint narrative to NYFW."

• Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2012
• Time: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm ET, Cocktail reception to follow.
• Location: 92YTribeca at 200 Hudson Street
• Tickets to the conference are available for $99 at StyleCaster.com/state-of-style. A special discounted rate is available for those who are emerging in the field, including students and up-and-coming designers.
• All proceeds will benefit 92^nd Street Y, a nonprofit community and cultural center.
• On Twitter: @StyleCaster @92YTribeca @Ford #StateOfStyle

At the Summit, Ford Senior Interior Designer Anthony Prozzi, formerly a menswear designer for Donna Karan, will discuss style trends from the runway to the roadway and introduce the brand new Ford Fusion, featured on-site at the event. Highlighting the unique parallels between the fashion and auto worlds, Prozzi will examine trends from the creative applications of sustainable materials to the economic and cultural inspirations influencing both industries. "We are excited to help kick off NY Fashion Week showcasing style and trends across industries," says Prozzi. "This is what we strive for at Ford -- to break boundaries with design and innovation, translating current culture and values into a product that touches all senses."

The Summit will be universally accessible via Watchitoo, the interactive streaming media company that provides HD video collaboration.  Watchitoo will also present its new e-commerce technology Watchitoo Layers.

About StyleCaster Media Group:  StyleCaster Media Group is the vertical media platform that enables consumers to discover and share their style, interact with premium brands and make buying decisions. Founded in 2009, StyleCaster is dedicated to bringing Style to the People by empowering style enthusiasts and the brands that want to reach them. StyleCaster Media Group reaches more than 10 million people on a monthly basis, and has partnered with more than 50 top-tier advertising partners since launch. The company is based in New York City. For more information, please visit StyleCaster.com.

About Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com

About 92nd Street Y: 92nd Street Y is a world-class nonprofit community and cultural center that connects people at every stage of life to the worlds of education, the arts, health and wellness, and Jewish life. Through the breadth and depth of 92Y's extraordinary programs, we enrich lives, create community and elevate humanity. More than 300,000 people visit 92Y's New York City venues, and millions more join us through the Internet, satellite broadcasts and other digital media. A proudly Jewish organization since its founding in 1874, 92Y embraces its heritage and enthusiastically welcomes people of all backgrounds and perspectives. 92Y is an open door to extraordinary worlds.

Contact: StyleCaster Media Group, Meghan Cross, 646-300-8364, Meghan.Cross@stylecaster.com

Media Contact: Meghan Cross StyleCaster Media Group, 646-300-8364, Meghan.Cross@StyleCaster.com

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SOURCE StyleCaster Media Group