Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days Spring-Summer 2017, in CEC “The park”1-4 September 2016

Ukrainian design is gaining more and more attention, and in the new season, Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days will visit more visitors from around the world.

25 DIGITALEVOLUTION MBKFD

1-4 September in CEC "The park" will be the 13th season of the International Fashion Week Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days (MBKFD), opening the new fashion season Spring-Summer 2017.

With each season, the scale of the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days is expanding: a growing number of designers, visitors, buyers, journalists, bloggers, photographers. CEC "The Park" (Park Road 16a) has become the new venue for MBKFD for a reason: the new space is perfect to accommodate the increased number of participants and event guests.

The S/S 2017 (Spring-Summer 2017) Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days Season is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence and its key idea – #DIGITALEVOLUTION.

The fashion industry is now undergoing dramatic changes: the old system of fashion weeks cannot ignore the new global social and cultural trends. Under the influence of the digitalization, many brands are now moving to a system of "See-now buy-now", whereby the collections go on sale immediately after their presentation on the catwalk. Such a transformation is a vivid example of how new technologies are changing our reality. This is the main theme of the S/S 2017 Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days campaign. The visual campaign seeks to combine tradition and innovation, ethnic roots and modernity, there has always been a war between old and new, and their interaction and mixing is one of the major trends of the present time. The advertising campaign for the S/S 2017 Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days uses and brings to life the fantastic figures painted by the legendary Ukrainian artist Maria Primaschenko.

"From the very first season, Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days was an international event. Our goal – to open Ukraine to the world and open up the world of Ukraine. Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days bred a generation of designers, thanks to which Ukraine abroad is beginning to be recognized in connection with its achievements in the fashion industry. As it is, the most talented fashion week designers have already achieved international recognition, and the event itself entered into a number of major fashion weeks around the world, and is becoming the most influential in Eastern Europe. We strive to give young designers a boost to develop themselves, and they show our country in a new way. It is important for us that the advertising campaign displays national symbols and spreads the rich cultural heritage of Ukraine. Do you remember our advertising with the flag? Now the main symbols of the campaign are the figures of Maria Primachenko, who was an absolute genius, and the world firmly associates her with Ukraine. And the face of the advertising campaign is supermodel and philanthropist Alina Baykova," says Daria Shapovalova, creative director of MBKFD.

"Now in the history of Ukraine, we have reached a turning point. We took the responsibility for what our country becomes into our own hands. Therefore, it is very important to remember and honor the traditions that are passed from generation to generation, because it is the foundation on which our nation stands and what connects us with each other. Our generation wants to build a better future and is making every effort to do this. We will make sure that everyone in the world knows about Ukraine and its achievements, " says Anastasia Primachenko, great-granddaughter of Ukrainian artist Maria Primachenko.

"At Avenue 32, we are always looking for new designers to incorporate them into our business – often this involves the opening of new areas that other stores have not investigated into in search of new talent. Over the past few seasons, we met in Paris more and more truly talented designers with excellent collections, and it turned out that many of them come from Ukraine. With the season S/S 16, we started to work with some of them, including Litkovskaya. For the Autumn/Winter 16-17 season, we are pleased to include in the range Anouki, along with Anna K, the collection that we have been selling for several seasons. If there are so many designers who can show their collections in Paris, it made me wonder how much talent we miss without visiting Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days. So I'm looking forward to my first trip to see all the talent that Ukraine can offer," says Stephen Ayres, Fashion Director of the British multibrand store Avenue 32.

Burning Desire (Fiery Passion) – the global fashion campaign and Fashion Film Mercedes Benz Spring/Summer 2017 – was filmed by the famous Swedish director Christian Larson. Its icons are the English musician Eliot Sumner and the German model Lucie von Alten. London designer David Koma dressed von Alten in one of the looks of the David Koma collection Autumn-Winter 2016 and created Sumner's look especially for the campaign Mercedes-Benz Spring/Summer 2017. Let's recall from the collection S/S 2013 that David Koma was a guest of the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days in 2012.

"The parallel between luxury cars and fashion trends defines the philosophy of the brand Mercedes-Benz – both worlds recognize the passion, style, innovative design, the finest materials and advanced technical innovation as the critical success factors. In the season S/S 2017, Mercedes-Benz presents the Burning Desire global advertising campaign featuring British singer Eliot Sumner and the German model Lucie von Alten. The focus is on the true rebel of the family Mercedes-Benz – the Coupé CLA. Sporting proportions, radiating power and dynamic design makes the CLA car an undisputed leader in its segment. Two flaming characters of the heroines, multiplied by the power of fire, share with the Mercedes-Benz CLA the desire to stand out from the crowd. In the coming season, we are pleased to introduce a local advertising campaign with Alina Baykova, the world-renowned Ukrainian model, and we are particularly proud of the collaboration and close friendship that we have. Supporting Ukrainian designers on the international level, the world Alina demonstrates the enormous potential of our fashion-industry," says Nina Vasadze, the ideologist behind the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days.

In the eventful program will be:

Design shows on the main stage;

Shows and presentations at selected locations;

Shows of programs about the development for young brands – Fashion Scout Kiev x MBKFD;

Demonstration of the collections in the showroom – Fashion Scout Kiev x MBKFD;

Fashion Days Market – a platform for brands "Made in Ukraine";

Fourth business conference Kiev Fashion Industry Forum;

Presentation of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Prize Award, Award for Young Design IT brands;