TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2014 /CNW/ - A cross country fashion design search culminated on Monday, October 20 during the Mercedes-Benz Start Up national finale where six finalists presented their Spring/Summer 2015 Collections at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto with their respective hope to clinch the next Awarded Designer title. After a most impressive showing from all designers, the judges felt that Sid Neigum had the best collection coupled with a forward thinking approach to his future business. This decision was not made solely based on last night's show but rather on a comprehensive process which included panel interviews, a study of his business and marketing plans and a close look at his Fall and Spring collections. In addition to being the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Start Up Awarded Designer, Sid Neigum will receive a $30,000 bursary that will be administered by an experienced mentoring team who will guide and support the designer's vision all the while ensuring that the funds are used most equitably. The Awarded Designer will also benefit from continued mentorship from the panel of experts, editorial coverage across leading domestic and international publications, including editorial support from FASHION Magazine as well as a fully produced solo runway show in Toronto at the Fall/Winter Collections in March 2015.
For this year's edition, the Mercedes-Benz Start Up panel of judges traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, Gatineau, Québec and Burlington, Ontario to identify designers who showed the most talent and potential to benefit from the Mercedes-Benz Start Up program. Sid Neigum's runway mates last night included finalists Beaufille, BLAK.I, Eliza Faulkner, Laura Siegel and VAIKEN. The finalists presented their collections to an audience of local and international media and buyers, as well as to their future mentors including Carolyn Quinn, Director of Fashion IMG Canada, JoAnne Caza, Director of Communications and Public Relations, Mercedes-Benz Canada, Bernadette Morra, Editor-in-chief, FASHION Magazine and Robin Kay, President, Fashion Design Council of Canada.
"I'm so thrilled to have been chosen as the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Start Up Awarded Designer," said Sid Neigum. "The mentorship, bursary and solo show will most definitely fuel the momentum that my collections have been building over the past few years and will without a doubt allow me to further establish my business."
The 2015-2016 cycle of Mercedes-Benz Start Up will commence with a national call for submissions early in 2015. Semi-final events will once again see a panel of experts travel across Canada in search of the next generation of fashion design stars.
About Mercedes-Benz Start Up (MBSU):
Developed and managed by IMG and launched in 2011, Mercedes-Benz Start Up is an ongoing initiative that provides a national platform to discover and support emerging Canadian fashion designers. Now in its fourth year, the program travels from coast to coast, identifying the next generation of rising Canadian talent and provides them access to fashion business experts to help them hone a broad range of skills. Designers gain the knowledge and skill set required to develop a sustainable career in the fashion industry, while elevating their professional profiles through unique and exclusive opportunities. Past Awarded Designers, MARTIN LIM, DUY, Malorie Urbanovitch and Cécile Raizonville of Matière Noire, received international accolades and have enjoyed many exclusive opportunities through Mercedes-Benz Start Up, demonstrating the numerous advantages and tangible benefits of the program.
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Mercedes-Benz Start Up is an IMG event.
Image with caption: "Image of Sid Neigum and models following being named Mercedes-Benz Start Up Awarded Designer (CNW Group/Mercedes-Benz Start Up)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141022_C3890_PHOTO_EN_6981.jpg
SOURCE: Mercedes-Benz Start Up
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