Banana Republic Talks to Tweens

Seven girls, ages 8 to 15, will meet with designers from Banana Republic after winning a competition sponsored by tween social-networking site Miss O & Friends, based in Greenwich, Conn. The winners of the contest will meet with two of the San Francisco company’s executives, Banana Republic Creative Director/Executive Vice President Simon Kneen and Vice President of Women’s Design Alessandra Brunialti, in the company’s Manhattan offices. According to Juliette Brindak, co-founder of Miss O & Friends, a survey of 2,000 tweens revealed their No. 1 “dream” is to be a fashion designer. So Brunialti and Kneen will show them the apparel-production process from design concept through merchandising in the store. “These girls will learn what it’s like to be a designer in the global fashion world versus what they might perceive it to be,” Brunialti said.