As New Zealand Fashion Week draws nearer (August 26 – September 1), one of the key partnerships for the week is the prestigious union between Mercedes-Benz and a fashion brand that aligns with its values of luxury, high-quality materials and cutting edge design fashion being one of the car brand’s key pillars.
The Mercedes-Benz Presents accolade is reserved for a brand that has both local and international appeal.
This year's recipient is Auckland-based womenswear label Paris Georgia, founded by Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie who launched their online vintage store The Mercantile Store and basics line the foundation of what has now become their own fully designed collections with Viva in 2015.
Known for its contemporary and artful design aesthetic, the label is a favourite among high-profile celebrities including Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Kourtney Kardashian, Katy Perry, Adria Arjona and Naomi Shimada.
"It feels surreal," says Georgia. "We've both worked so hard. It means the world to be acknowledged by a brand such as Mercedes-Benz and for us to announce this news by Viva our very first supporter is just so perfect! Having local support is so important to us and this partnership is about embracing that and focusing on our beautiful home that we love so dearly New Zealand."
Joining prestigious alumni of past Mercedes-Benz Presents Designers including Kate Sylvester (2015), Harman Grubisa (2016), Zambesi (2017) and Turet Knuefermann (2018), the alignment is a major honour for a brand looking to take their business to the next level.
"The day we launched our business I remember picking up Viva that morning with Georgia, it made our business feel real," says Paris.
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Advertise with NZME.“It’s such an accomplishment and we feel incredibly lucky to be the Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer just three years later although luck has had nothing to do with it, I know how hard we’ve worked for this, and it was always one of our goals. It’s a real milestone both personally and for the business.”
The show will feature two custom made designs inspired by Mercedes-Benz and a surprise collaboration with local and international muses. Evolving from their intimate lunch held last year during Fashion Week, the pair are excited to be presenting their new designs in a much bigger context.
“It is truly a dream come true” adds Georgia “and a reminder that our hard work is paying off and that our vision for Paris Georgia is one that women can relate to. This is really why we do what we do to make women feel empowered and beautiful.”
"It’s an accomplishment to have gotten to this point with such a small team," says Paris. "We’re a self-funded label and to be able to reach this milestone really says a lot for our work ethic I’m really proud of both of us. Australia and the US are our stronger markets and we’ve wanted to strengthen our presence in New Zealand for a long time now, we’re so grateful for this platform Mercedes-Benz has given us. I feel like there’s so much we have to offer to New Zealand women and now we have our chance to do so."
