IMG Fashion & Mercedes-Benz deal on RAFW

29 Jun '11

3 min read

IMG Fashion can confirm that it has reached a multi-year agreement with Mercedes-Benz to become the naming rights partner of the previously named Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, the nation's premier fashion event, as well as its sister event the consumer-focused Sydney Fashion Festival.

Mercedes-Benz will initiate its association with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney (formerly known as Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival), in August 20-29 this year.

IMG Fashion, which owns and operates both events, has enjoyed a strong and prosperous relationship with the incumbent naming rights sponsor, Rosemount, and together celebrated Australian Fashion Week's 15th anniversary with the broader Australian fashion industry last year. The partnership also helped to deliver the first edition of the celebrated Sydney Fashion Festival in 2008.

Commenting on Rosemount's partnership, Simon Marton, Marketing Director, Treasury Wine Estates said, “Rosemount has enjoyed a rewarding partnership with IMG and fashion over the past 5 years. We are very proud to have played a significant role in the evolution of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week and to have successfully delivered the inaugural Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival.

"Whilst our association with fashion and style has played a big part in the success of Rosemount, we are embarking on a new brand direction which will see us engage with a broader consumer base. This change in direction brings new opportunities for the brand and a very exciting future. We wish IMG, Mercedes-Benz and the Australian fashion industry every success.”

Gavin Allen, General Manager Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific said, "As the founding naming rights partner of Australian Fashion Week in 1996, we are excited to once again align our brand with this premier industry event and continue to strengthen our brand's global commitment to fashion. We look forward to a successful Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney partnership, celebrating the continued pursuit of Australia's design excellence."

IMG Fashion partners with Mercedes-Benz around the world on a number of high profile fashion events including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week's in New York and Berlin. When Australian Fashion Week was established back in 1996, Mercedes-Benz was the original naming rights partner, with the title passed to Rosemount in 2006.

Peter Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of IMG Fashion Worldwide said, “Rosemount's energy and extensive commercial marketing activity around our events has helped to achieve a significant growth in the awareness of these important industry and consumer platforms. Partnering with Mercedes-Benz signals a new chapter and presents an exciting future for Australia's fashion community. Mercedes-Benz is immensely experienced and knowledgeable in the fashion space and it certainly gives us great confidence in what the future will bring“.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is an industry only event that profiles the ready-to-wear collections form emerging and established designers to an international audience of buyers and media. It welcomes over 30,000 visitors to the event annually and last season it presented 130 designers as part of its official schedule. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is supported by DHL, EYE, HP, MAC, Redken, The Westin Sydney and V Australia as well as Austrade and Events New South Wales.

IMG Fashion

More IMG Worldwide Inc News... More Fashion News - Australia...