Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz has now been involved in the world of international fashion for two decades. The Stuttgart-based automotive company first sponsored the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in Sydney and Melbourne in 1995, and the number of its alliances and initiatives has grown continuously ever since. Today, the Mercedes-Benz brand displays its dedication to fashion on more than 50 platforms in over 40 countries.

"Trend-setting design, pioneering innovations and modern luxury are firmly embedded in Mercedes-Benz's DNA. The parallels between fashion and cars are obvious, because the design process for both requires creativity, the highest levels of craftsmanship and technical expertise, but also courage if you want to establish yourself outside the international mainstream," said Dr. Jens Thiemer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. "As an international fashion industry partner for 20 years, we are proud to have supported platforms all over the world, and particularly to have been involved in promoting talented young designers."

Fashion Platforms around the Globe

Mercedes-Benz supports more than 50 fashion platforms from Paris, London and Milan to Istanbul, Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing and Buenos Aires - as well as Berlin, of course.

From the very beginning, promoting the next generation of designers has been a priority for Mercedes-Benz, itself a premium brand. As a result, it also takes an active part in events that focus on launching creative new talents and on networking in the industry. One such event is the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie in Hyères. In 30 years it has evolved into a highly acclaimed competition for young designers that provides an informal, open setting in which the finalists present themselves to the international fashion industry. As well as Mercedes-Benz, its sponsors include major fashion houses such as Chanel and Chloé.

The Berliner Mode Salon is a new platform for German fashion that was created in early 2015 to reflect Germany's creativity and professionalism. As part of this initiative, Mercedes-Benz will be showcasing the three German finalists from Hyères, Annelie Schubert, Anna Bornhold and Christina Braun, during the Spring/Summer 2016 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

Designer Exchange Programme

The direct promotion of highly talented young fashion designers has been important to Mercedes-Benz for many years. As part of its global designer exchange programme, the company enables up-and-coming talents to show their creations on platforms outside their home market and thus to gain exposure to an international audience and the world's press.

Together with Elle fashion magazine, the company also offers one new designer a season the opportunity to show their collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. In past seasons they have included Satu Maaranen, Iris van Herpen, Steven Tai, Yu Amatsu, Paper London and Roshi Porkar.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Campaigns

Every season for the past eight years, Mercedes-Benz has further emphasised its dedication to fashion by producing a campaign including an fashion motive and a fashion film. For these campaigns it has commissioned some of the most prestigious fashion photographers - including Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Nick Knight and Collier Schorr - as well as famous models such as Tilda Swinton, Lara Stone, Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls. Its 17th fashion campaign, for spring/summer 2016, will be unveiled in July during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. Directed by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, 'Hybrid by Nature' will feature Dutch supermodel Doutzen Kroes and the new Mercedes-Benz GLC Plug-In Hybrid.

Fashion Creatives and Style Profiles

Mercedes-Benz also produces two video series that are available to an international audience at www.mercedes-benz.com/fashion. Fashion Creatives follows fashion business insiders such as Justin O'Shea and Veronika Heilbrunner and provides extremely entertaining insights into their life, work and very individual lifestyles. In Style Profiles, fashion icons such as Hanneli Mustaparta, Quentin Jones and Ada Kokosar talk about what inspires them and their defining aesthetic influences, while performers such as rapper Theophilus London and taekwondo champion Paige McPherson embark on a film adventure with their favourite model of Mercedes‑Benz car.

distributed by