The activation, held at Empire Diner in West Chelsea, featured a menu of collagen-infused diner-style items for makeup artists, stylists and production crews navigating long days and tight turnaround times, according to a Feb. 2 company press release.
Speaking to CosmeticsDesign, Brian Groves, president at Vital Proteins, described the effort as aligned with both the brand’s beauty positioning and the realities of Fashion Week.
“Fashion Week is a marathon defined by long days, early call times and nonstop schedules—and no one feels that more than the behind-the-scenes teams who make it all happen,” he said. “They’re often unseen, yet truly essential, much like collagen peptides that support the body from within.”
Experiential marketing extends collagen into foodservice
For supplement manufacturers watching the convergence of ingestible beauty and lifestyle marketing, the pop-up represents another example of collagen brands advancing beyond traditional retail sampling.
“We’re always looking for ways to engage with our consumers in real life, and our Fashion Week activation built on our presence at the 2025 U.S. Open,” Groves said. “These activations allow us to bring our brand purpose—helping people to look, move and feel their best—to life in ways that are immersive, memorable and shareable across channels.”
Rather than positioning collagen solely as a scoop-in-a-smoothie ingredient, the diner format enabled the company to demonstrate its malleability in application.
“By creating opportunities for people to experience collagen peptides in food and beverage firsthand, we can encourage trial and demonstrate our brand quality and taste distinction—showing just how easy it is to make Vital Proteins a part of their daily wellness routine,” Groves added.
Menu designed around backstage realities
The company said the idea for the diner grew out of conversations with backstage professionals about the physical demands of show week.
“The Vital Diner was for the people who make Fashion Week happen,” Groves said. “Makeup artists, hair stylists, estheticians, nail artists and other backstage professionals power the week’s biggest moments— yet they often put themselves last, meaning real nourishment can be missed during the marathon week.”
Those insights molded both the atmosphere and the menu.
“Through conversations with makeup artists, stylists, backstage hands and other crews, we learned firsthand how long and intense the days of Fashion Week can be, leaving limited time and access to nourishing meals,” Groves said.
According to Vital Proteins’ press release, the pop-up featured “a menu of diner-inspired favorites infused with Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, designed to help guests look, move and feel their best from the inside out—plus a moment to reset before returning to the Fashion Week rush.”
Menu items included collagen-boosted coffee and matcha, smoothies, pancakes and savory dishes, demonstrating how unflavored collagen peptides can be incorporated into both beverages and plated meals. A “BE GOOD”—branded smoothie was developed in collaboration with makeup artist Patrick Ta and featured the company’s unflavored collagen peptides.
The press release also noted that the space included interactive elements and an editorial partnership with Vogue to extend the activation digitally.
Reinforcing position in the US collagen market
Groves said Fashion Week’s visibility made it a strategic cultural touchpoint.
“More broadly, Fashion Week is one of the most visible cultural moments of the year, making it a powerful platform for Vital Proteins,” Groves said. “The Vital Diner showcased how collagen peptides help support everyday wellness—from hair, skin, nail, bone and joint health—while reinforcing the brand’s position as America’s No. 1 collagen brand.”
The company’s claim to No. 1 is based on Circana Omnimarket Total US MULO data, SPINS Total US – Natural Expanded Channel, Stackline-Amazon and Nielsen-Whole Foods data for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2025, using a Nestlé Health Science custom definition for Total Collagen Sports Nutrition/Vitamins. Costco data was unavailable.
While the diner was positioned as a limited-time event, Groves indicated the experiential strategy is ongoing.
“While the Vital Diner was a limited-time experience created specifically to coincide with Fashion Week, we’re excited by the potential to continue bringing our brand purpose to life through impactful experiences that help people to look, move and feel their best from the inside out,” he said.
