Copenhagen/Stuttgart. At Copenhagen Fashion Week SS21, Mercedes-Benz partnered with Danish supermodel Helena Christensen to raise awareness around the importance of wearing mouth-nose-masks to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. During the four day event from 9-12 August, Christensen was photographed against some of Copenhagen’s most storied landmarks, styled in five Danish designers’ new collections that incorporated face masks they had either created or customised.
A face of the luxury industry for over three decades, Helena Christensen perfectly typifies the social responsibility of Mercedes-Benz, by demonstrating the importance of wearing a mask at the Copenhagen Fashion Week SS21, and how they can even be elevated to a piece of iconic design. Both parties want to make a stand on the importance of wearing face coverings, and to do so in a suitably creative way.
“We at Mercedes-Benz are very aware of our social responsibility to show attitude and act as role model especially in difficult times. As a leading luxury brand we are delighted to implement this in partnership with Helena – one of the most iconic faces in fashion”, said Bettina Haussmann, Head of Mercedes-Benz Branded Entertainment.
Mercedes-Benz Denmark’s long standing relationship with Copenhagen Fashion Week can be traced back to 2009, when Mercedes-Benz began facilitating shared fashion show locations for several designers each season. More recently, Mercedes-Benz has focused on collaborating with one designer in a more in depth capacity, often to create engaging social media content and impactful visuals around their show or event. Recent partnerships include the likes of Danish Designer Soeren Le Schmidt. On the 10th August 2020, Mercedes-Benz co-hosted the opening reception of much loved fashion brand GANNI’s 202020 exhibition, which brought together clothing, art, discussion and performance for an immersive and collaborative brand experience.
Mercedes-Benz also highlighted Copenhagen Fashion Week’s commitment to sustainability by using branded electric and hybrid vehicles to transport VIP guests between events, along with providing shuttle service at the GANNI opening reception.
About Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen emerged in a blaze of high octane glamour during the 1990s as one of the original supermodels and changed the fashion industry forever. A muse to the late Gianni Versace, she starred in campaigns and runway shows for the iconic Italian fashion house, as well as brands like Chanel, Hermès, Prada and Valentino. Christensen has graced the cover of magazines like W, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue on multiple occasions. With her appearance in the Herb Ritts shot music video for Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” in 1989, she had a worldwide breakthrough as one the iconic supermodels of the 90ies.
Behind the lens, Christensen is an accomplished photographer and has shot editorials for titles including Vogue, Elle, Dscene, ODDA and Marie Claire magazine, recognized for co-founding Nylon magazine. Throughout her career she has continually used her voice for change, using numerous platforms and organisations to raise awareness of and document the impact of climate change, and numerous humanitarian causes.
Christensen partnered with Oxfam in 2009 to document the impact of the social impact of the changing weather in Peru, where her mother was born. In 2019, the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR appointed Christensen as a “Goodwill Ambassador”, one of only a handful of people to receive such an accolade, she continues to use photography to document and show the refugee crisis around the World.
About Mercedes-Benz’ global fashion engagement
Over the last 25 years, 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, fashion week partnerships and live events. Up to now, the brand has been active in many key locations around the world, including the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks Australia, Mexico, Madrid, Tbilisi and Berlin and also the famous International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Fashion Accessories in Hyères.
Cultivating 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 aspirational and intuitive design, creativity and innovation. Through its emerging designer programme Mercedes-Benz Fashion Talents and creative collaborations, the mobility service provider has supported over 140 designers in over 30 platforms around the world, including in Milan, London, New York, Beijing, Prague, Istanbul and Berlin.
