USA -- The fashion set kicks into high-gear as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week packs the Tents at Bryant Park with over 60 designers, who will showcase their 2010 Spring Collections from September 10-17, 2009. The iconic tents at Bryant Park are metaphorically packed too, as this season's trunk and travel theme highlights the future move of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to Lincoln Center and its integral role in the world-wide fashion industry.

Mercedes-Benz, title sponsor of the preeminent fashion event that draws international attention and over 100,000 visitors, features established designers including Yigal Azrouel, Chado Ralph Rucci, Badgley Mischka, Diane Von Furstenberg, 3.1 phillip lim, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger and this season's Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer, Narciso Rodriguez, who will debut his Spring 2010 Collection on September 15, 2009 at 8:00 PM.

The Bryant Park Tent lobby is the focus for showcasing the interplay between fashion and this season's travel theme. A retrospective exhibit depicts iconic Mercedes-Benz vehicles and fashion trends from the 1940's through 2010 that is curated by Dayle Haddon and Narciso Rodriguez, who hand-picked wardrobe samples from his past collections over two decades.

A nostalgic display pays homage to the nine generations of the E-class and the evolution of travel by automobile. Vintage luggage pieces by Karl Baisch for the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 220 Coupe, along with luxury contemporary bespoke luggage from Globetrotter and Gucci, are the centerpieces of a September 10th Trunk Show co-presented by Saks Fifth Avenue. Throughout the entire week, guests can view the bespoke luggage and send e-postcards from an interactive screen at the display.

"The 2010 spring season is a time of year when people begin thinking about their summer excursions creating a natural connection between fashion and travel," said Lisa Holladay, Manager Brand Experience Marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA. "Customers choose Mercedes-Benz vehicles for a luxurious, sophisticated and safe travel experience and that is creatively displayed at the tents with two of our newest and most technologically advanced vehicles, the E-coupe and sedan."

Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicles take center stage at Bryant Park including the 2010 E350 coupe currently in dealerships and the E63 AMG available this fall.

"Similar to fashion from the runway, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are designed for the roadway and developed for individuals who view luxury travel as central to their lifestyle," said Fern Mallis, Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion. "This season's luggage theme incorporates several travel and fashion perspectives from the upcoming move to Lincoln Center to packing the latest fashions for a road trip. . . to thousands of attendees that flock to New York to experience Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week."

2010 E-Class
This season, Mercedes-Benz premieres its 2010 E-Class vehicles with the E63 AMG sedan and the E350 Coupe. The ninth generation E-Class captures timeless style and sophistication. Trapezoidal shaped headlamps create a bold, avant-garde face while a muscular body is defined by several convex surfaces and taut lines including one that follows each rear wheelwell to shape the contours of the rear fenders that are reminiscent of the famous 1953 "Ponton Mercedes." The E350 Coupe on display at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a special Olivine Grey launch color, a unique and proprietary combination of olive green and grey.

Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer
On Tuesday, September 15th at 8:00 PM in the Tent runway, Narciso Rodriguez, New York designer and this season's Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer debuts his spring 2010 Collection. Narciso Rodriguez received his formal education at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York and is the first designer to win the Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, two years in a row. His designs have been worn by celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes and First Lady Michelle Obama. "Mercedes-Benz and Narciso Rodriguez share a distinct brand characteristic that centers around timeless elegance melded with new modernity," added Holladay.

Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge
The backstage Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge continues to be the epicenter for designer receptions and celebrity sightings. To create this season's Star Lounge, Mercedes-Benz enlisted Maurice Villency and Variegated for their elegant furniture, sophisticated textiles and unique design to create a setting inspired by the elegance and speed of a Mercedes-Benz convertible combined with the beauty of Bryant Park in the fall.
 
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week