Icons of Style: Mercedes-Benz Features New SL Roadster and Supermodel Lara Stone in Calvin Klein Collection, Captured by Alex Prager
|
FYI: Mercedes-Benz Buyer's Guide
NEW YORK--Dec. 22, 2011: Mercedes-Benz USA announces today the 2012 Fashion Collaboration starring the new SL Roadster with Lara Stone in Calvin Klein Collection, captured by Alex Prager. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icons of Style images by Alex Prager can be described as:
A beautiful woman stands alone in the desert, suitcases in hand. Yet in this 21st century update on classic Film Noir, the blonde is her own getaway driver, outpacing a tornado in a sleek SL Roadster by Mercedes-Benz.
The American photographer and filmmaker, Alex Prager, is known for creating surreal and enigmatic movie moments inspired by Frederico Fellini and David Lynch. Yet in her versions - heady with mystery, lust and desire - the woman is in control. Of her enigmatic images for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icons of Style, Alex Prager said she chose cinematic greats as her Icons of Style. "I constantly reference Fellini characters and Hitchcock as well," said Prager.
Dutch supermodel, Lara Stone plays the update on the Hitchcock blonde, a strong protagonist who overcomes loneliness and fear. This inner strength is underscored by a timeless and elegant dress worn by Lara Stone and designed by Calvin Klein Collection's Women's Creative Director, Francisco Costa.
The SL Roadster featured in the latest Mercedes-Benz Icon of Style campaign, combines technical innovation with sleek sportiness and classic luxury and reinterprets the legendary Mercedes-Benz classic of the 1950s for today.
Lara Stone commented, "It's an honor to work with Mercedes-Benz on a project like this. Both Mercedes-Benz and Calvin Klein Collection brands represent great luxury and timeless elegance and it was a really unique experience."
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Collaboration, Icons of Style, is making its US debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 from February 9-15, 2012.
The 2012 Icons of Style key visual is the latest in a stunning series of outstanding visuals celebrating the unique combination of design and style that is Mercedes-Benz. Nick Knight has posed Julia Stegner in Gareth Pugh with the SLS AMG; Miles Aldridge photographed Milla Jovovich wearing a spectacular hat from Philip Treacy next to the Mercedes E-Class Convertible; Craig McDean and David James staged Karolina Kurkova next to the new CLS and last season, Terry Richardson captured Jessica Stam on the roof of the A-Class concept car.
The protagonists:
Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster
The designers have presented the most recent generation of SL icons in
an unmistakable way, by combining a deep sense tradition with new
perspectives and visions. The result is a stylish, sporty and elegant
luxury sport's car with the classic, SL-typical well-balanced proportions:
the long bonnet is followed by a compact passenger compartment and the
wide, sleek rear perfects the look. Understated, artistically designed
lines define the powerfully modelled yet smooth surfaces ofits silhouette.
Finely engineered details from the dynamic, traditional form repertoire of
Mercedes-Benz visually underline the legend of the SL. From a technological
perspective, the SL presents itself as a spectacular trendsetter.
Manufactured almost completely from aluminium, it weighs a lot less than
its predecessor. Innovations like the unique FrontBass system, which turns
the SL into a concert hall, whether open or closed, or the adaptive MAGIC
VISION CONTROL System are all pioneering developments with an eye to the
future.
Alex Prager
Self-taught Alex Prager from Los Angeles is a rising star in the photographer
sky. On a visit to a William Egglestone
exhibition, Alex Prager made the decision to
start taking photos herself. Since then, the 32-year-old photographic
artist and filmmaker has impressed with her unconventional photography at
several solo and group exhibitions. Her productions are inspired by the
style of the sixties, as well as by the films by great directors like Alfred Hitchcock, David
Lynch and Frederico Fellini. Alex
Prager describes her photography as a documentation of a world that
at the same time exists and yet does not exist. In addition to her
well-received trilogy with the series "Polyester", "The Big Valley" and
"Week-end", Alex Prager has also made a name
for herself as a fashion photographer. Her "Lofty Ambitions" editorial
featured in the September issue of US Vogue and she also shot the
spring/summer 2011 campaign by Bottega Veneta with Karolina Kurkova.
Lara Stone
The native Dutch model is currently top of the worldwide rankings on
Models.com. Since her breakthrough in 2006 she has been the campaign face
for top labels like Givenchy, Louis Vuitton,
Hugo Boss, Max
Mara and Versace, has worked with star photographers including Mario Testino, Steven
Meisel, Craig McDean, Mario Sorrenti and Terry
Richardson and has modelled on the catwalk for all major,
international fashion houses. The gap between her two front teeth has
become one of her trademark features.
She is currently the face of Calvin Klein and has been linked to the brand for quite some time. French Vogue dedicated a whole issue to Lara Stone in February 2009, and fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld shot a short film with her.
Calvin Klein Collection's Francisco Costa
Francisco Costa is the critically acclaimed
Women's Creative Director of Calvin Klein
Collection. Mr. Costa assumed this role in 2003 after working directly with
Calvin Klein and other top design houses of
Gucci, Balmain Couture, and Oscar de la Renta. Mr. Costa's first collection
for Calvin Klein Collection debuted for
Spring 2004. Known for his timeless, elegant designs, Mr. Costa has
received numerous awards for his work, including being twice named the
Womenswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of
America (CFDA), and is a recipient of the Cooper-Hewitt National Fashion
Design Award. A graduate of F.I.T., Mr. Costa was born into a family with
deep roots in fashion, and grew up in the small Brazilian town of Guarani
near Rio de Janiero, where his mother and father owned a successful apparel
business.
About Mercedes-Benz USA
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA),
headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is
responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all
Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. MBUSA offers
drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 19 model lines
ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS
AMG supercar.