BY ifashion.co.za
The Mercedes alignment will cover all AFI shows - starting with Joburg Fashion Week, including Cape Town Fashion Week and later in the year, Africa Fashion Week. These will now all be rebranded as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa.
Announced at the Joburg Fashion Week launch last night, the alignment of Mercedes Benz with Africa Fashion International is inline with Mercedes near-global sponsorship of fashion events through fashion logistics company IMG.
"Fashion is a lifestyle!" said Dr Martin Zimmerman, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa to a packed roof of fashion folk at the Hyde Park Hotel. "Mercedes-Benz as a premium automotive brand perfectly matches the world of fashion and style."
"For over a decade, Mercedes-Benz has established itself as an experienced partner of major international fashion platforms," he continued. This includes title-sponsorship of Berlin, Tokyo and New York Fashion Weeks as well as Stockholm, Moscow, Sydney, Brisbane and Mexico City. Not to mention countless initiatives around fashion in Paris, Milan and London, Buenos Aires and Beijing. It is hoped positioning Africa within this bracket will provide instant international leverage.
"This is a significant collaboration between Africa Fashion International and Mercedes-Benz," Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Executive Chairperson AFI, said. "Aimed at nurturing and raising the profile of African’s fashion designers around the world."
Dr. Moloi-Motsepe added that the AFI showroom will be launched in 2012, an initiative serving as a resource to international consumers. She also said that 2012 will be the year to connect with "other fashion week platforms on the continent as part of our feed in strategy to Africa Fashion Week".
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg kicks off on March 7 with Fastrack, and continues through March 10.
Kluk CGDT, David Tlale, Gavin Rajah, Thula Sindi, Spero Villioti, Heni, Leigh Schubert, Abigail Keats, Abigail Betz and the Dax Martin Chocolatier Collection Brought to you by Magnum will all show alongside a menswear contingent that includes C-Squared, Fabiani and Distinctive Man. Emerging designers will comprise of Thabani Mavundla, Danielle Margaux, Black Coal Clothing, Wild Fig, Mosewamosa, Loin Cloth & Ashes, Avant, and Grapevine. New to the platform is Tashkaya.
The KZN Fashion Council and Trade Investment KwaZulu-Natal, meanwhile, will present a collective show of the province’s most talented designers including Karen Monk Klijnstra, Genna-Wae Webster, Katherin Kidger and Siyathemba Ngwenya.
In addition to the title sponsorship, it was announced the shows also have a new home - The Hyde Park Corner.
