Paul Baranda Portfolio

An Evening of Extraordinary Women

Celebrating extraordinary women and redefining the runway, Lenny Letter partnered with Cole Haan to deliver a compelling content series and star-studded event that stole the spotlight during New York Fashion Week.

The brief

Client
  • Cole Haan
Work & Expertise
  • Strategy Development
  • Activation Planning & Execution
  • Experiential & Content
  • Talent & Influencer Management
Role & Company
  • Associate Account Director // Production & Experiential
    Giant Spoon // New York
Cole Haan aimed to elevate its first female-focused “Extraordinaries” campaign by partnering with Lenny Letter, a platform by actress Lena Dunham renowned for its authentic storytelling and strong female audience. Faced with the challenge of cutting through the noise of New York Fashion Week, Cole Haan wanted to engage a highly targeted audience with compelling content and memorable experiences. Collaborating with Lenny Letter would tap into a powerful, established voice to showcase stories of remarkable women, aligning seamlessly with its brand values.

Coverage by female-focused press

Press included Vogue, Guest of A Guest, Just Jared, and more

The work

To achieve these goals, we developed a comprehensive campaign that combined branded editorial, strategic content, and a high-profile experiential activation. We started by creating a series of six bespoke Lenny Letters, each featuring top-tier branded editorial content that was delivered straight to the inboxes of our engaged audience. This content series was strategically programmed to resonate with the Lenny Letter community’s strong female voice, featuring interviews and stories of extraordinary women like Karlie Kloss and Christy Turlington, as well as original pieces authored by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner.

To enhance the impact and visibility of the campaign, we supported the content series with targeted site media and social amplification, reaching a broader audience across digital platforms. The campaign was launched with a star-studded event that celebrated women’s creative minds and artistic achievements rather than star power—the Lenny Letter 2nd Anniversary Party was held at the iconic Jane Hotel in New York City which included guests like Malin Akerman, Julia Stiles, Greta Gerwig, Jenna Lyons, Cynthia Rowley, Zadie Smith, Edward Norton, and others . This highly produced, meticulously curated A-List event featured custom Cole Haan activations, including live illustrated portrait sessions by artist Hallie Bateman and on-the-spot poetry by Jacqueline Suskin and a team from Girls Write Now, a program that mentors underserved young women to harness their literary voice. These unique experiences highlighted stories of substance and showcased women talent, effectively creating a memorable brand experience.

By fostering a cohesive partnership with Lenny Letter and collaborating with top editorial talent, the campaign successfully counter-programmed New York Fashion Week, making Cole Haan stand out in a sea of fashion-focused events. The anniversary party generated significant recognition within media trades and female-focused press outlets, reinforcing Cole Haan’s association with powerful, goal-driven women and solidifying its presence as a brand that celebrates extraordinary female stories.

I played a key role in managing the production and execution of the event, overseeing everything from curating the guest experience with unique activations to coordinating local A-list talent and managing the VIP guest and press lists. Working closely with the experiential team, I helped design the activation flow and managed the technology used for live illustrations. Through meticulous planning and coordination, I helped bring this extraordinary evening to life and was personally thanked by Lena Dunham for my contributions.