Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2010

BERLIN/STUTTGART – June 29, 2009: Mercedes‑Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2010, which takes place July 1 to 4, 2009, is breaking all existing records. For the first time, more than 30 labels are showing their collections. Among the new participants are Anja Gockel, BOSS Orange, CUSTO Barcelona, Deanoor, Escada Vintage, GANT, Lena Hoschek and Patrick Mohr. This merely confirms that the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin has reached the highest echelons of the international fashion world and Berlin has regained its prominence as an important fashion capital.

“The Mercedes‑Benz Fashion Week Berlin has become a Mecca for the global fashion industry”, according to Anders-Sundt Jensen, Head of Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. “This is reflected in the ever-rising number of designers and visitors, as well as fashion events that take place throughout Mercedes‑Benz Fashion Week Berlin.”

Mercedes-Benz presents designers from South Africa and Argentina
Two fashion labels from South Africaand Argentinaprovide an added international flair at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2010. The featured designers are Jacques van der Watt and Daniça Lepen from South African label Black Coffee and Pablo Ramírez from Buenos Aires. These designers distinguished themselves at their countries’ fashion events supported by Mercedes-Benz and won the honour of having their own shows at the Mercedes‑Benz Fashion Week Berlin. This underscores Mercedes‑Benz’s commitment to its international fashion activities whose purpose is to cultivate national designers and rising fashion stars by giving aspiring fashion creators an opportunity to introduce themselves to an international audience.

Designers Jacques van der Watt and Daniça Lepen won the renowned Mercedes‑Benz Award for South Africa Art and Culture 2009, which was given this year in the field of fashion design. Their designs exhibit a blend of past and future giving a new style to modern South Africa. The philosophy of the label embraces contradictions and intuitively presents old African traditions in a new light. Their creations are remarkably familiar and at the same time refreshingly uncommon, hovering somewhere between history and fantasy. With innovative ideas, combined with precise, detailed execution, Black Coffee has assured itself a leading role on the South African fashion scene.

Pablo Ramírez was honoured last year as Argentina’s best designer at the first annual Fashion Edition Buenos Aires, established by Mercedes‑Benz in partner-ship with the Faena Hotel + Universe. Before starting his own label RAMÍREZ in 2000, the 38‑year‑old worked for well-known brands like Alpargatas, Via-Vai and Gloria Vanderbilt. His creations are distinguished by an incomparable adaptation of classic fashion. He uses old cuts and sewing techniques to create figure enhancing fashion – primarily in black and white.

International fashion activities
For more than ten years, Mercedes-Benz has partnered with prominent international fashion organisations. Besides Berlinand New York, the Stuttgart-based automaker is also the title sponsor of fashion weeks in Miamiand Mexico Cityas well as the Fashion Festival in Brisbane. In addition, Mercedes-Benz has a presence in the fashion capitals of Parisand Milan, as well as at numerous fashion events in Stockholm, Amsterdamand Warsaw. Mercedes-Benz is currently involved in fashion events in more than 20 countries on every continent and has created numerous national achievement awards for up-and-coming creative talents.