Top model mother and son drive the final chapter of leading vehicle brand’s fashion story

#mbcollective Fashion Story 2017 Chapter Three; Amber Valletta and the Concept EQ

STUTTGART/MILAN, 22-Sep-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — Top model Amber Valletta, her son Auden McCaw and the Concept EQ are the focus of the third and last chapter of the #mbcollective Fashion Story from Mercedes-Benz. Director and filmmaker Luke Gilford’s photos and film radiate the intimacy, security, and understanding that mark the emotional relationship between mother and son.

The #mbcollective Fashion showcases Generation Now celebrities who, through their mentorship of the “Generation Next,” transport important social values into the future. Top fashion model and actress Amber Valletta supports climate protection and animal conservation, and conveys the belief in sustainability to her son Auden McCaw. They follow in the footsteps of Chapter One talent, musicians M.I.A and Tommy Genesis, debuted in London in March 2017, and Chapter Two protagonists, actress Susan Sarandon and humanitarian filmmaker Bryn Mooser of RYOT, unveiled at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin in July 2017.

The Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ stands for emotion and intelligence and shows what the future of electric mobility can look like: sporty, elegant, intelligent and sustainable. These Mercedes-Benz brand values are illustrated in Chapter Three of the #mbcollective Fashion Story.

Amber Valletta rose to fame as a top model in the 1990s and later made a name for herself as an actress as well. American-born Valletta has graced countless magazines – including 16 Vogue UScovers – and has been the face of fashion designers Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino and Versace. In her own words, she is a child of the Mid-West and feels at her best and most comfortable in natural surroundings. Since activism was practically handed down to her in her cradle, she has long advocated conservation and sustainability. As co-founder of A Squared Films she participated in the short documentary series “Driving fashion Forward”, focusing on the topic of sustainability and fashion. She is an ambassador for the Sierra Club Animal and Climate Protection Movement and, together with the online shop Yoox, she has founded her own fashion label for sustainable fashion, Master & Muse.

Auden McCaw is 16 years old and attends high school in Los Angeles. He is a passionate volleyball player and participated in the Youth Olympic Games with his team last summer. He is enthusiastic about art and design and has already been featured in fashion shoots by famous photographers such as Steven Meisel and Steven Klein. Like his mother, he is very concerned about the preservation of the planet and is actively involved in its protection.

“Chapter Three with Amber Valletta and Auden McCaw is a wonderful conclusion for the first year of our new Fashion Format, which no longer follows the traditional fashion seasons and through which we have found a pioneering means of communication with our audiences all around the world”, says Michael Bock, Head of Sports and Lifestyle Marketing of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “For all three chapters with the Concept EQ, we were able to engage celebrities who represent the Generation Now, Generation Next theme as well as  communicating  our brand values. Musicians M.I.A. and Tommy Genesis touched on the topic of Connectivity, actress Susan Sarandon and filmmaker Bryn Mooser embodied Emotion, while Amber Valletta and Auden McCaw stand for Intelligence. Luke Gilford has translated these three stages of a relationship into images that speak for themselves. With the #mbcollective, we have also raised our long-standing fashion commitment to a new level, in line with the current Zeitgeist, placing the focus on personal independence.

Filmmaker Luke Gilford sets the scene for all three chapters of the Fashion Story at the Wright Ranch in Santa Monica. The location, which belongs to Eric Lloyd Wright (grandson of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright), high up in the mountains above Malibu Pier, offers the most varied light ambiences from sunrise to sunset. Chapter Three was created in the soft, slightly hazy late-afternoon light. Thanks to this and the green and blue tones of the landscape the motifs radiate a feeling of placid intimacy.

The world-wide promotion of gifted young design talents to which Mercedes-Benz has pledged its support for many years now and which, in 2017, has moved to the very centre of its fashion commitment, features predominantly in the Fashion Story. All six protagonists wear creations of young designers such as William Fan, Steven Tai, Ran Fan or Anna October, who have all beensupported by the International Designer Exchange Program (IDEP).

Coinciding with the unveiling of Chapter Three and at Mercedes-Benz’ invitation, South Korean up-and-coming designer and winner of the 2017 International Fashion Showcase, Younchan Chung will show the latest collection of his label “the-sirius” at Milan S/S 2018 Moda Donna.Amber Valletta, as a member of #mbcollective, will attend the show in support of the designer.

The Concept EQ is a forerunner of the new Mercedes-Benz electro-mobility product and technology brand. EQ stands for “Electric Intelligence” and will, in the future, represent a comprehensive electric ecosystem of products, services, technologies and innovations within Mercedes-Benz. The Concept EQ study shows how the CASE campaigns strategic pillars can be implemented in a product: Connected, Autonomous, Shared und Electric. The sporty SUV Coupé speaks a new design language and is designed, both external and internally, with maximum user friendliness and accessability in mind.

22 years of Mercedes-Benz fashion activities

Over the past 22 years, Mercedes-Benz has established itself globally as an important player and partner of select fashion events. The brand is currently involved in more than 60 fashion platforms, including the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks in Australia, Mexico, Spain and China. As part of its global involvement in fashion, for the past eight years Mercedes-Benz has supported young, talented fashion designers, also with the Mercedes-Benz International Designer Exchange Program. It offers up-and-coming and established designers a unique opportunity to present their collections outside their home markets to an international audience. The International Designer Exchange Program, set up in 2009 is currently active on almost all fashion platforms supported by Mercedes-Benz including Milan, Peking, Berlin, Budapest, Prague and Istanbul. It is often accompanied by an award program set up by Mercedes-Benz where expert jury decides on the award winners. Mercedes-Benz is committed to promoting, supporting and mentoring promising design talents and the International Designer Exchange Program, underpins this brand commitment.

Exclusive looks behind the scenes of Mercedes-Benz fashion activities may be found on the social media channels: Instagram: @mbfw and Twitter, Snapchat, Periscope: @mbfwofficial

SOURCE: Daimler AG

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