mercedes-benz startup program said to promote valuable players in the fashion industry

Posted by Yevgeniya Yelkina in Fashion, Featured, Interesting News | 1 comment

Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Canada

On June 1, 2001 Mercedes-Benz Canada and IMG, a global sports, fashion and media company, announced their upcoming collaboration to launch Mercedes-Benz Start Up, a project expected to provide a national platform for emerging, ambitious Canadian designers who have been in business for less than five years. Produced in conjunction with LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oréal Paris, the program is intended to support up-and-comers, by providing mentoring programs, exclusive opportunities in the field, and connections to industry insiders. These opportunities are expected to shape rising talent, giving emerging designers the skills to elevate their profiles, and break out into the industry.

“Mercedes-Benz Start Up will allow Canadian designers the opportunity to move up in the industry and provide them a guide to achievement,” said Peter Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of IMG Fashion, a press release. “The goal is to facilitate a platform for these designers to showcase their talent in a professional setting with access to key mentors from various segments of the industry.”

Peter Levy at announcement event on June 1, Toronto, ON; Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Canada

Mercedes-Benz has been a longtime sponsor for New York, Miami, and Berlin Fashion Weeks, so this Canadian collaboration has been a natural expansion of the company’s involvement in the fashion industry.

“I am very impressed by the raw potential that exists here in Canada,” said Tim A. Reuss, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, in a press release. “Considering the ongoing emphasis we place on expressive design, it is only natural for our company to also help foster opportunities in an industry with similar core principles.”

Tim A. Reuss; Image coutesy of Mercedes-Benz Canada

Suitable candidates for the program will be selected by the Mercedes-Benz Start Up team as it begins meeting with buyers, educators, and influential individuals in fashion media, all playing a valuable role in key Canadian markets. A panel of industry judges will select 20 exceptional and ambitious designers, based on specific criteria, for the semi-final competition, which will be conducted in two Canadian provinces this year. By next year, the program hopes to expand the competition to four provinces, in order to ensure that the program is easily accessible across the country, making it a national effort.

After the semi-final competition, four final designers will be invited to show their collections in the national final round, which will be held during LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oréal Paris in October 2011. Showing their collections during fashion week will provide the semi-finalists with valuable exposure, and will allow them to network with important players in the fashion industry.

“LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oreal Paris has grown into a national platform for designers from across the nation to showcase their talent in the international arena,” said Robin Kay, President of the Fashion Design Council of Canada, in a press release. “We are thrilled to go forward with Mercedes-Benz Canada and IMG to create relationships with young designers countrywide. LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oreal Paris will provide a world class runway with unparalleled exposure for these designers.”

After the semi- final, a single designer will then be selected to debut his/her solo show, which will be featured during LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oréal Paris in March 2012. As the designer prepares for the spring show, he/she will be rewarded with access to key industry mentors for five months before the debut.

By helping Canadian designers establish an identity, the program aspires to help unknown talent become known entities around the world, helping Canada develop into a global power player in the fashion industry.

“By supporting emerging designers to broaden their overall scope through Mercedes-Benz Start Up,” said Reuss. “I am confident that we will be able to further strengthen the Canadian fashion industry and heighten its overall prominence and reputation on the world stage.”

Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Canada

To obtain an application for the competition or to find out more information about the program, register at http://www.mercedes-benzstartup.com/.