Mercedes hones fashion appeal

"Mercedes-Benz is a choice automobile for classic fashion icons -- Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly -- so holding this event highlights the enduring nature of our designs," said Petrina Seah, senior manager of marketing communications, Mercedes, DaimlerChrysler Southeast Asia. "Increasingly, fashion labels such as Prada and Gucci are taking a backseat to local brands. This is one reason we opted to support a young Asian designer. We wanted to give him the confidence and the means to emerge onto the international scene." The winner -- Malaysian designer Syaiful Baharim -- was selected out of 10 semi-finalists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. He was chosen based on the creativity, timelessness and commercial viability of his collection: all qualities of Mercedes-Benz design, according to Seah. Baharim received a cash prize of US$10,000, mentorship from each of the judges, an internship at the DaimlerChrysler Advanced Centre in Yokohama Japan, an attachment with celebrity designer Ashley Isham in London, and a showcase in fashion exhibitions in Australia and Japan. "This year, we emphasised the nurturing aspect of the MBAFA, so we dressed Zouk in a 'cocoon' of neon strings. The cocoon symbolised the metamorphosis of an emerging talent into the next big name in fashion," said Seah. "Furthermore, because each judge will mentor the winner, we carefully selected experts across various design and fashion industries." Batey handled advertising for the event, which began over four months ago, during the local competitions in each of the five markets. The competition was announced in various local publications in each country. For the regional finals, the brand advertised in the International Herald Tribune, Time and The Straits Times. In addition to print, outdoor flags and banners were heavily used in prime shopping areas such as Orchard Road and Raffles City in Singapore.