ON THE RUNWAY AND BEHIND THE SCENES: The year that Supima rewrote the rules for co-branding and sponsorship

PHOENIX —It turned out to be quite a year.

First came the news that Brooks Brothers’ Supima Collection would expand to include home furnishings.

Soon after, Brooks Brothers mailed its second Supima Collection catalog (featuring those luxe, new, made-from-Supima home furnishings next to its already bestselling made-from-Supima apparel), and the rest of the retail world watched as that catalog set record response rates—not only for Brooks Brothers but across the industry.

Momentum kept building.

By late Spring, Supima’s participation in the September 2011 edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was confirmed. Not only would the fourth edition of Supima’s annual Design Competition transfer venues to the tents at Lincoln Center, but the competition would be reconfigured with participation and prejudging by America’s top four design schools: the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Pratt Institute, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

When September came, the whole world had the opportunity to note the new status of Supima’s Design Competition. Supima was accorded the signal honor of opening New York Fashion Week, where the live runway finale was emceed by star stylist and television celeb Rachel Zoe, who then presented the $10,000 check for first prize to Jusil Carroll of FIT.

For most marketing companies, all that would have been enough to make 2011 a banner year.

But Supima had a lot more going on than Brooks Brothers bestsellers and live runway shows at Lincoln Center. For example:

• The Supima Collection exclusive to top Bloomingdale’s stores continued to roll out new items, including, in late September, a redesign of the classic men’s T-shirt by Robin Tomas, winner in a previous Supima Design Competition.

• At stateside trade shows, Supima made the successful transition from PREFAB, the Supima semi-annual trade show previously held in Gotham Hall during New York’s Textile Market Week, to a strong presence at Texworld USA in support of Supima’s partner mills and spinners.

• For the second season, Supima sponsored BOFFO, the collaboration between fashion designers and architects that, this year, included the likes of Nicola Formichetti, Irene Neuwirth, Patrik Ervell, The Lake & Stars, and Ohne Titel—each featuring a Supima specialty item during their pop-up store/installations.

• Uniqlo dedicated its own collection to the wonders of Supima, with extensive in-store and online promotions telling the world of the wonders of Supima’s all-American, extra-long staple cotton.

• In late Fall, Supima launched a new, consumer-friendly website, AllAboutSupima.com, with a dedicated blog and clickable links to Supima brands from Agave to Uniqlo.

• For the first time, Supima was also invited to participate—alongside marquee brands ranging from Adidas and Brooks Brothers to Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent—in Fashion for Action, Housing Works' shopfest and celebration at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.

And just wait until 2012 gets underway.

Here are a few hints of what's coming:

• Planning for the fifth Supima Design Competition has already started. (Stay tuned for the addition of another prestigious design school to the already-stellar roster.)

• Stepped-up partnerships with with licensee brands in both apparel and home furnishings.

• Consolidation of Supima’s web presence for easier access to trade- or consumer-specific information.