Stuttgart/Berlin. Mercedes-Benz is presenting the London label Florentina Leitner as part of the “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talents” programme at the MBFW Berlin opening show. Austrian-born Florentina Leitner is a Master graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Her collections stand for elegant, playful and sustainable fashion. The live show on the catwalk at ‘Kraftwerk’ in central Berlin will take place on September 6, 2021 at 9 p.m. In addition, Mercedes-Benz will present the airbag fashion collection created in cooperation with the US designer Heron Preston in an installation. All catwalk presentations, digital formats and talks will be available as livestreams on the official event website https://mbfw.berlin/. The hybrid event format allows industry insiders and fashion fans worldwide to digitally participate.
Florentina Leitner’s collections are lively, colourful and extroverted. The elegant tailoring, unusual prints, witty accessories and innovative use of materials have already inspired many stars. These include Kylie Jenner, Lady Gaga and Charli XCX, among others. Florentina Leitner completed her Master degree at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. After a stint as a womenswear designer at Dries van Noten, she founded her own label in London at the end of 2020. In February 2021 she presented her autumn/winter 2021 collection “The Royal Leitners” at the digital New York Fashion Week.
As a young, visionary label, Florentina Leitner places great value on sustainability in her designs. She frequently works with fabrics from remnants as well as responsibly produced textiles. These are mainly processed in Belgium, Italy and Great Britain. The label also has a sustainable sales and distribution policy. Direct sales in the online shop help reducing transportation. Leitner’s collections appear twice a year in limited quantities and are characterised by exclusivity and individuality.
‘Berlin as a fashion metropolis is an important interactive platform for our global fashion engagement and we are delighted to present Florentina Leitner, a new emerging design talent, at the MBFW Berlin September opening show. Florentina’s multi-faceted collections showcase a modern interpretation that embodies the zeitgeist of the industry with sustainably recycled creations and fits well to our brand. Since 2009, our Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talents programme has supported international fashion designers whom we mentor and support along their way,’ says Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Communications & Marketing Mercedes-Benz AG.
At MBFW Berlin, Florentina Leitner will present her new spring/summer 2022 semi-couture (segment between haute couture and prêt-à-porter) collection ‘Vacation on the Moon’. The looks are inspired by a day at the ‘Mondsee’ lake in Austria, a popular sailing resort. Leitner’s theme combines traditional styles and motifs from her Austrian homeland with the idea of a holiday on the moon. The collection features maritime outfits combined with edelweiss prints and galactic, metallic moon prints.
Airbag Collection x Heron Preston
Also on display as an installation at the Kraftwerk is the exclusive Airbag Fashion Concept Collection by Mercedes-Benz in collaboration with US designer and creative director Heron Preston. The fashion collection is an homage to the life-saving safety feature. The airbag celebrates two anniversaries this year: 50 years of the patent, and over 40 years series production in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The collections created by Heron Preston from recycled airbag material are exhibited at MBFW at the original set of the photo shoot at the Kraftwerk.
Mercedes-Benz Global Fashion Engagement
Since 1995, Mercedes-Benz has established itself worldwide as a major player in the fashion industry, building authentic relationships within the fashion community through its commitment to emerging designer initiatives, innovative collaborations, fashion week partnerships, and live events. The brand is currently active in many key locations around the world, including the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks Russia, Mexico, Madrid, Tbilisi and Berlin and also the acclaimed International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Fashion Accessories in Hyères.
A responsible future in fashion
Committed to the sustainable future of luxury design, Mercedes-Benz proactively works to future-proof the responsible growth of its fashion partnerships; highlighting best practices and aligning itself with creatives that reflect and champion values such as outstanding and intuitive design, creativity and innovation. Mercedes-Benz is delighted to develop its long-standing partnership with Festival Hyères for 2021 with the inaugural Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize, an evolution of Mercedes-Benz’ support of the festival’s fashion finalists which will educate the next generation of talent in sustainable best-practices. Through its Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talents programme and creative collaborations, the luxury brand has supported nearly 170 designers in over 30 platforms around the world, including Milan, London, New York, Beijing, Sydney, Prague, Istanbul, Berlin and Accra.