Diet Pepsi Refreshes Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week With An Out-Of-The-Box Runway Experience

Diet Pepsi Brings Four Regional Designers to the Fashion Industry’s Center Stage  

(PURCHASE, N.Y. - February 7, 2012) Diet Pepsi returns to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to provide a refreshing take on a traditional runway show experience. In partnership with fashion commentator Simon Doonan, Diet Pepsi will give four up-and-coming regional designers the opportunity to showcase their collections at the ‘Diet Pepsi Style Studio’ fashion show on February 9^th at 8:00 p.m. in The Box at Lincoln Center. 

Curated by Simon Doonan and presented on a set designed by Jonathan Adler, each designer will bring their unique hometown perspective to three themed fall looks.  The themes, reflecting key style trends, include fierce safari prints, avant garde workwear and metallic finishes inspired by the refreshing Diet Pepsi can.

 “We’re excited to be partnering with regional designers who can bring their hometown perspective to the cutting-edge fashion of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week,” said Amy Wirtanen, Senior Marketing Director Pepsi Beverages Company. “We hope that by translating high-end trends, we are opening the doors of the industry’s premiere event, and making style accessible to all women.”

The four designers selected to display their collections include: “Project Runway” alum and Dallas-based Shirin Askari; Denver, Colorado’s Rachel Hurst of Rae Marie; Genoveva Christoff from Columbus, OH; and Elise Bergman of Chicago, IL.

“I am honored to be a part of bringing these fresh new faces to Fashion Week,” said Simon Doonan. “Acting as their mentor has been an enriching experience, and seeing them adapt key trends for the Diet Pepsi woman makes me very proud.”

Following the show, the regional looks will be on display in the Diet Pepsi Refresh Studio, located in the Grand Lobby of Lincoln Center.  Designed by Jonathan Adler, the Diet Pepsi Refresh Studio provides guests a place to relax and recharge, while staying up-to-date with the week’s trends and shows.  Diet Pepsi will also treat guests to ‘refreshing moments,’ daily, surprising experiences designed to delight and uplift hurried fashionistas.

###

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 22 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.