"Synergistic brand dynamics."

“...and that’s how I successfully leveraged synergistic brand dynamics to build the first cross-functional platform-as-a-service limited liability fashion app in the world!”

Jasmine Chao stands on the RED Talk stage, in the middle of a big red circle, before a starry background, looking out upon an audience of entrepreneurs, tech journalists, billionaire investors and thousands of other curious citizens. She is, of course, also being livestreamed across the entire internet. The lithe, brilliant beauty looks resplendent in her black high heels and her gorgeous off-the shoulder little black dress, made from some mysterious experimental new fabric that flowed across her slender body like liquid smoke.

“Of course,” she says, “I could never have built up Knickr from next to nothing without the life skills I learnt while I was an Epsilon Nu Phi sorority girl at good old Upknott College. No matter how far you go, no matter how high you rise, you’ll always be an Epsilon. There’s thousands of Epsilon girls all over the world, in big business and politics and media and the arts. To celebrate Knickr’s incredibly successful first year in business, I’ve sent each and every one of those girls a sample from our brand-new line of 3D-printed dresses. If the marketing strategy suggested to me by my highly-recommended new public relations advisor, Chadlene, is working, each and every one of these girls should be wearing one of these little black dresses to some very public, very important occasion at this exact moment.”

She sees no reason to mention that the dresses can’t be worn with underwear, for fear of a chemical reaction, according to Chadlene. That can be her little secret.

She steps forward to the very edge of the stage, followed by the spotlight. She’s presented in all her grace, intelligence and exciting free-market dynamism to the countless people around the world tracking her every move, including all her friends, acquaintances, competitors, fierce business rivals, fans, haters, investigative reporters and complete randoms who’ve vaguely heard about her in the newspaper and decided to tune in.

“Here’s to Knickr,” she says. “And here’s to Epsilon Nu Phi!”

Chad, backstage, holding a remote control, taps a small red button.

A gigantic Delta Omega Mu flag unfurls behind Jasmine as her dress dissolves into a cloud of mist and blows away. Electromagnets planted in the floor beneath her whir to life, holding in place the small metal plates embedded in her shoes, while the clasps keeping them on her feet suddenly became unbreakable. The people controlling the cameras try to cut the feed, and find their emergency red buttons somehow aren’t working.

Jasmine’s squeals fill the RED Talk hall as the official Delta Omega Mu brass-band anthem begins to play.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” says Olivia Goodlake, American ambassador to the United Nations, aristocratic blonde, who also happens to be an Epsilon Nu Phi girl. She’s about to address an audience of world diplomats in Geneva’s Palace of Nations, on the other side of the world from the RED Talk stage. “It is my solemn duty to declare this conference… EEEEEEEK!”