Fashion Design Council of Canada reveals first details

of World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto

February 13th, 2012 — Toronto ON — The Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC) today announced World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto will be held from Monday, March 12 to Friday, March 16. With its new corporate partner injecting fresh energy into the week, the vibrant event will return to the city centre in a single-tented environment at David Pecaut Square to show Fall 2012 collections. This easily accessible location within the heart of the entertainment district will welcome more than 30,000 industry professionals, and an increased consumer ticket allowance.

“Having exceeded 588 million media impressions last season, it is clear our terrific industry attendance and the massive media attention to our calendar, is a great part of the attraction for our new global partner. Thus, a corporate titan has confidently claimed title to the name of the week,” said Robin Kay, President of the Fashion Design Council of Canada, and Executive Director, World MasterCard Fashion Week. “MasterCard is the first corporate sponsor to present our shared event logo with such graphic endorsement of the event. We are honoured to be the community that World MasterCard has declared to be home for the newest product of the MasterCard family, ‘World.’ The deliberate, Toronto-wide growth of Stylicity, a consumer offering of all things fashionable, creates further stimulus for designers at street level.”

Event Details

This season, Canada will see new fashion tents for its premier fashion event at Toronto’s David Pecaut Square (formerly Metro Square), prominently situated on King Street West at John Street, between Metro Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. It will welcome a state–of-the-art fashion epicentre as the FDCC operates the week-long event at this highly visible location.
Passersby can watch for 17-foot high walls as the build begins Thursday, February 23.

Calendar

The World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2012 collections are comprised of more than 60 shows and presentations.
Designers showing this season include Chloe comme Parris, Soia & Kyo, Lundström, Lucian Matis, Bustle, Melissa Nepton, Joe Fresh™, Rudsak, OPPIO, Pink Tartan, 2011 Mercedes-Benz Start Up Recipient MARTIN LIM, David Dixon, KORHANI Home Rug Runway Show, Dare to Wear Love, Caitlin Powers, Cara Cheung, Ashtiani, Sanya Khan and Travis Taddeo. In addition, Holt Renfrew will showcase Jeremy Laing, Lida Baday, Dennis Merrotto, Mackage, Line, Smythe, Twenty Cluny, and Judith & Charles.

Registration Details

Online Media and Industry registration is now open at www.worldmastercardfashionweek.com/register.
The price for media and industry passes is $100.
The deadline for registration is Wednesday, March 7.
Pass pick-up is Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10 at the World MasterCard Fashion Week venue.
Consumer tickets are also available for purchase online.

Social Media

The FDCC’s social media man on the street, Daniel Wilson, will tweet, Facebook and blog his way from one Canadian catwalk show to the next.
Follow World MasterCard Fashion Week at @WMCFashionWeek, and use #WMCFW.

Sponsors

Title Sponsor World MasterCard is joined by Founding Sponsors Korhani Home and Maybelline New York, and Official Sponsors Joe Fresh™, Mercedes-Benz, DHL, Rowenta, Redken, Mattel, Caesarstone, Peroni, Holt Renfrew, smartwater and Town Shoes.

The preceding sponsor list fully supports the FDCC to build a world-class runway and fashion week venue.

About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at www.mastercard.com, follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews, or join the conversation on The Heart of Commerce Blog.

About the Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC)
Established in 1999, the Fashion Design Council of Canada is a non-governmental, not-for-profit national organization created to support Canadian fashion designers and the Canadian fashion industry. FDCC President Robin Kay is credited with spearheading Canada’s inaugural Fashion Week. The FDCC owns and produces Fashion Week, now in its 13th successful year, creating ongoing corporate sponsorships, and arranging the calendar and concurrent events. The bi-annual event has garnered international respect and is the second largest Fashion Week in North America. For more information, please visit www.worldmastercardfashionweek.com.

Press Contacts:

FDCC or Robin Kay press inquiries:

rock-it promotions Debra Goldblatt
President
debra@rockitpromo.com
Office: 416.656.0707 ext. 101
Mobile: 416.464.9077

U.S. Office

IMG Fashion Andrew Serrano
PR Manager
andrew.serrano@imgworld.com
Tel: 212.774.4437

MasterCard

MasterCard Canada Heath Applebaum
Director of Communications
heath_applebaum@mastercard.com
Office: 416.479.3219
Mobile 647.407.3271

Contact Information:

Fashion Design Council of Canada
Robin Kay, Executive Director, World MasterCard Fashion Week; President, FDCC
Carolyn Quinn, Associate Producer, World MasterCard Fashion Week, carolyn@fdcc.ca

IMG
Sam Galet, Sponsorship Inquiries, sam.galet@imgworld.com