Swag, swag, swag

Tilda Swinton (who just today was nominated for her role in Michael Clayton) told me just two nights ago that Main Street in Sundance has become a "shopping mall." And she is right. Last year there was a backlash against the unofficial Sundance sponsors which meant a little less gifting. Also most people were sporting "Focus On Film" buttons to drive the point home. This year it is back, and big time. The buttons have gotten smaller, and I have seen maybe two the whole time, and I heard from another journalist that there were over 150 different gifting suites and lounges this year. I took part in a few.

My first stop was the L-R-G Gifting Villa, where attendees ate hors d'oeuvre while sipping Courvoisier and perusing the goods. The suite is names after a relatively new men's line, L-R-G, which had an interesting selection of Apres Ski meets skater chic. They also carry women's clothes, but their main focus is men. They were good enough to give me my new favorite coat at Sundance.

[This coat feels like I am wearing a down sleeping bag everywhere I go, and has actually made it possible for me to wear less layers]

Here's the thing. Yes, gifting is out of control, but when it started it was very functional. Timberland has given me coats and boots over the years and without them I would have frozen to death. Most events give you as a parting gift some form of winter wear (The In Bruges party gave out a small billed, woolly ski cap, which would have been attractive if it didn't have the bill)

Timberland was back this year and gifting from their "Eco line." These boots, which have kept film critic Kyle Buchanan's feet dry through two days of snow, are made largely from recycled materials. (The lining of the boots are made from recycled plastic bottles, which is hard to believe as they are so soft) Timberland is also going a step further and putting ingredients labels—just like food—on their packaging, which tells you just what portion of the product is made from re-purposed material, and how big or small your carbon footprint will be when you buy it.

Back at the L-R-G Suite, I picked up these killer, if a bit bling for my tastes, headphones from Skull Candy.

And I was introduced to a new water, or energy drink, WheyUp. The drink has 20 grams of protein in every bottle, which is more than I think I need from a beverage, but if you are training and trying to bulk up, this could be handy to have. It doesn't taste half bad either.

One beverage I can vouch for though is Function, particularly their Urban Detox drink. The drink is designed by doctors and I am told it features the ingredients used in hospitals when you come in for dehydration, plus something that supposedly scrubs your lungs and sinus. I can't prove it, but they can at Function Drinks . All I know is that if you drink one before bed it seems to prevent a hangover and so at this altitude and with this dry of a climate I have been drinking a few a day.

I also dropped by the St. Ives suite and spa, where I was told later Rex Lee stopped in for a facial. They were launching a whole new line of "all-natural" products, which I am always quick to support—though I haven't yet done the research as to what their all natural label means. These will be available at your local Wal-Mart and other mass chains.

Yesterday I stopped into the Main Event Red Carpet Lounge & Green Suite at Hotel Park City, where there were some cute finds. A small company called La-Tee-Da! was there with their candles that also had infusion rings, creating "patented Effusion Crown Candles." It's complicated but basically the smell good. Also I found a lesbian owned t-shirt business called We Pluribus. Laura Evans stared the company to create shirts that brought the country together. A very noble and ambitious goal for a t-shirt. They sport peace signs and slogans about how we are all one country and are made with organic cotton and apparently created with power from sustainable energy. Leave it to us to do it right. Check them out at We Pluribus .

Also I met a lovely woman who was making bags out of recycled yoga mats, the cutest of which is a yoga bag made out of a yoga mat. I lost her card sadly but we will be seeing more of her product in the magazine. She was talking to me about her gay brother when I was introduced to the next booth of product, a new skin cream called Regen de Peau II, whose founder Oli Scarlato began to tell me about her gay nephew who is like a son to her. Her own son passed away it seems and her nephew has become a huge part of her life since then. The rest of her life is devoted to the product which she devised to help burned children and continues to give a great deal of product and proceeds to. It just turned out the cream also helped with anti-aging and generally looking good, so the other part of the business is selling this high end product to women and men to look younger and healthier. 

Now this may have been my favorite moment since, in my last minute packing, I had put my C.O Bigelow moisturizer in my carry on bag, and apparently it was just way too much liquid for the security at Burbank Airport to allow. As I was about to miss my plane I gave it to them and was without moisturizer since. So now I have something to keep my skin from peeling off in this dry climate. See gifting can be functional, or at least that is what we keep telling ourselves.

Lastly I was at the Lamborghini accessories booth, asking the woman about the price points of her watches for a story we were working on about watches in a coming issue, when, mid-sentence, she was grabbed by one of the suites publicists and turned to her left to be introduced to Radha Mitchell. I was quickly forgotten—a reminder of what Sundance is now really all about.

Comments

[Laura Evans]

Hi, Corey! Thanks for the mention! We Pluribus had a GREAT time at Sundance. Danny Glover wore our shirt all around, as did the guys from "Assassination of a High School President."

The gal with the great yoga mat bags is Merle from OLovesM -- you can check her out at www.olovesm.com. Our link didn't work in your piece, but it's www.wepluribus.com.

Thanks again! Hope to see you again soon.