Evian(R) Natural Spring Water Brings Luxury to Bryant Park During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

ATLANTA, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Styles come and styles go, but concern about the environment is here to stay. At the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Evian(R) Natural Spring Water will unveil a luxury presence as the official bottled water of the Bryant Park tents from September 5-12. Evian has a longstanding history of supporting the fashion community and now, in turn, the fashion community is championing the luxury natural spring water's efforts to become more environmentally friendly and globally beneficent, a top priority of Evian's for decades.

To create a lasting visual impression, Evian has partnered with Viridis Luxe to create original wears for the "Evian Girls." The Evian Girls, a favored presence in the Bryant Park tents this past February, will be draped in chic two-toned dresses of "Evian pink" and hot pink, with a plunging neckline held in place by braided straps that flow down the back. These gowns will be crafted from a combination of braided hemp satin and bamboo cotton. The Evian Pink dresses set the tone for the models' overall look, as they inspired the hot pink heel of shoes they will be donning, as well as the deep rose colored lipstick used on the women's lips.

"The Viridis Luxe mission is to design luxurious clothing for those who are making the choice to tread lightly on our planet while continuing to enjoy fashion, luxury and style," said Hala Bahmet, creative director of Viridis Luxe. "'The Evian Pink' dresses are the physical manifestation of my goal as a designer: elegant, chic and sustainable."

Because no great outfit is complete without a fabulous pair of shoes, designer Gracienne Myers created custom-designed high heels with exclusively designed fabric emblazoned with Evian labels for the Evian Girls. The folds of the elegant Viridis Luxe gowns cascade down to give way to these unique pink, blue and white pumps, giving the outfit an authentic Evian feel. The shoes will be delivered to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion tents in luxury, transparent shoe storage boxes from a collection Myers recently produced, called "Clearly Glam," made from 100% recycled PET. Evian plastic bottles are also made of PET, with the brand's most popular bottle sizes, the 1 L and 750 mL, containing 25% post-consumer recycled PET.

"You can never do too much to protect nature and its resources," said Myers. "We are excited to work with Evian on this initiative, a global leader in preserving the most precious resource there is, water."

These outfits, along with several other items, will be auctioned through ShopEvian.com. The proceeds of this auction will go to the Evian Water Protection Institute, an organization that maintains and restores wetlands around the world. Protecting wetlands, which are natural catchment areas and natural freshwater resources, will naturally help replenish underground aquifers, filter water, reduce CO2 and help naturally protect against climatic events such as floods and erosion. Wetlands often also provide a source of economic development to local communities.

Also enlisted to prep the Evian Girls is make-up artist Matthew Nigara, who had his start as the international color director for NARS Cosmetics and has appeared on "What Not To Wear," and hair stylist Shalom Sharonhas, who has worked on photo shoots for Vogue, Paper, Elle and Glamour, as well as campaigns for Michael Kors and Revlon. These two noted stylists will provide the Evian Girls with the finishing touches for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

"At Evian, we believe that sustainability and luxury can go hand-in-hand and we are proud to further showcase our commitment to eco-friendly initiatives during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week," said Jeff Caswell, Vice President of Marketing for Evian North America. "We hope to further inspire the fashion community to strive towards environmentally friendly activities that unite the two worlds together."

Evian will also continue to showcase the trend-setting Limited Edition Bottle by Christian Lacroix, the first in its new annual tradition of high fashion designer-developed bottles. The Christian Lacroix Bottle made its debut to theNew York fashion scene in February and will take its final bow this season, making way for the new high-fashion creation that will be launched later this year. The Christian Lacroix Bottle can currently be found in high-end restaurants, hotels and nightclubs nationwide, as well as for purchase on www.ShopEvian.com.

About Evian Natural Spring Water

Bottled since 1826, Evian Natural Spring Water is the world's #1 brand of premium natural spring water. Every drop of Evian takes over 15 years to filter through mineral rich glacial sands in the pristine French Alps. Bottled at the source in a state of the art facility, Evian comes from the Cachat Spring located on the Southern shore of Lake Geneva, in the town of Evian-les-Bains. Evian provides a uniquely balanced mineral composition and subtle flavor as a product of its unhurried journey.

Today, Evian is a brand of the Danone Group, a leader in the food industry and number one by volume in the world for packaged water and dairy products. Evian first entered the U.S. market in 1978, where it was served in the finest bars and restaurants in distinctive glass bottles, and is now accepted as the most premium natural spring water for those, including many ofHollywood's elite, who like to treat themselves to the very best.

About Viridis Luxe

Viridis Luxe, by designer Hala Bahmet, first made waves in the fashion world in 2007, when they introduced their signature custom-made Hemp~Cashmere and Hemp~Silk blends, creating luxurious, sensuous, and sustainable fabrics and designs. Environmentally-conscious fashion lovers, magazine editors, A-list celebrities and top boutiques applauded their efforts, catapulting Viridis Luxe into the international fashion spotlight and earning fashionista "must-have" status.

The Viridis Luxe aesthetic is the embodiment of effortless chic -- a juxtaposition of historically significant fibers with a modern sensibility. Recent Viridis Luxe collections combine nostalgic Deco elements with edgy, fashion-forward details. The brand features sweaters, tops, and dresses in opulent colors and exotic natural fiber blends including Bamboo~Cashmere, Bamboo~Organic Cotton, Hemp~Cashmere and Hemp~Silk. Viridis Luxe is committed to making beautiful, luxurious clothing using ethical, eco-friendly methods and materials.

About Gracienne Myers for Evian

As a rising fashion pioneer, Gracienne Myers infuses traditional style with edgy detail and exotic trim, typically inspired by the textures and colors of nature while delving into the realm of sustainability. For this project, Myers collaborated with manufacturer Satryani in Novo Hamburgo, in Rio Grande do Sul,State of Brazil. Myers chose this factory for its unique eco-aware approach to shoe manufacturing. Satryani is known for reusing and recycling leathers and fabrics when possible. Its tannery has its own water treatment facility, so all water used in manufacturing is recycled back into the process, never polluting the natural springs or ground nearby; and melts down and reuses leftover metal scraps, creating about 50 kilograms worth of new hardware every year. In addition, the factory only creates pieces by hand. By using manpower as opposed to heavy machinery, numerous pollutants are avoided, which also means less oil, fewer emissions and greater energy conservation.

    Press Contact:  Katie Murphy
                    5W Public Relations
                    Tel:  (212) 999-5585
                    kamurphy@5wpr.com

SOURCE Evian Natural Spring Water

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