March 2008 Saint Louis Fashion Week Schedule

March 25-30 events create showcase for top international designers to reach their Midwest customers and launching pad for local up-and-coming designers.

"Saint Louis Fashion Week has become an amazing community partnership between some of St. Louis
most prominent corporations, cultural institutions and visionary leaders," said Attilio D
Agostino, Executive Producer of Saint Louis Fashion Week and Editor-in-Chief of ALIVE Magazine. "It's a remarkable collaboration of over 40 St. Louis-based businesses
from boutiques, modeling agencies and creative firms to restaurants and nightlife hotspots
coming together to create a destination for the world's top designers to touch their Midwest fans and customers, and a showcase for the best up-and-coming designers to launch their careers."

Also announced at the press conference was Budweiser Select's "Fabulosity" Saint Louis Fashion Week Launch Party with Kimora Lee Simmons on Saturday, March 15th at Lumen. The global fashion icon and reality TV star -- along with camera crews from her hit TV show "Life in the Fab Lane" -- will arrive in St. Louis on March 14th to participate in a series of events honoring her success as Saint Louis
most celebrated fashion star and launching Saint Louis Fashion Week. During her stay, Simmons will be making a stop at Washington University, where she will receive the prestigious Susan Sanders Silver Ripper Award for fashion design from The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Kimora will also announce a financial aid scholarship in her name in partnership with Anheuser-Busch. Afterwards, she is scheduled to make a public appearance at Macy's St. Louis Galleria to sign autographs and collect toys for charity in celebration of the "Fabulosity of Giving."

Runway shows for Saint Louis Fashion Week will begin with "Pure" on Wednesday, March 26, where Rachel Pally, the nationally acclaimed L.A. designer, whose vibrant signature designs have been spotted on such celebrities as Madonna, Kate Hudson, Nicole Richie, Beyonc
and Sarah Jessica Parker, will host the evening and reveal her much anticipated Fall 2008 collection. Two more of fashion's brightest young designers, Laurel Berman of Black Halo (famous for dressing celebs like Mandy Moore, Kelly Ripa and Becki Newton each week on ABC's "Ugly Betty"), and Shay Wilson of Kinetix, will also be in attendance at Pure to show their Fall collections.

At "Emerge," on Thursday, March 27th, top designers Yana K and Amahlia Stevens of Vitamin A Swimwear will headline the show. Star L.A. Fashion Week designer, Yana K, is a favorite of celebs Kelis and Kim Kardashian, while celebrity swimwear designer Amahlia Stevens of Vitamin A counts Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Aniston among her fans. Opening the evening, Victor Hugo de Leon of Niformis and Roberto da Carrara suits, and Joseph Kadi of Joseph's Cloak will be premiere their latest menswear designs, followed by nine of the hottest new names in women's fashion, including Tiffany Alana, Sohung Designs, Zeto, Katie Kantley, Phyl Couture, Miacro Design, English Clientele, Karina and Lyndsy Walker.

At Glow, on Friday, March 28, Macy's will present their latest trends for Spring, featuring their signature INC Collection, followed by an exclusive preview of St. Louis-based designer Lori Coulter's Spring 2008 swimwear collection. Glow will be hosted by international runway supermodels Catherine McNeil and Karlie Kloss. McNeil and St. Louis native Kloss will be joined by President of NEXT Models, Joel Wilkenfeld, and Jeff and Mary Clarke of St. Louis-based Mother Model Management.

On Sunday, March 30, Washington University's Fashion Design Program will have its senior student show on the Fashion Week runway in five segments: ball gowns, suits, day dresses, tailored coats and evening dresses. Washington University has been the starting point for a number of the fashion industry's top professionals and its students have gone on to work for such fashion houses as Christian Dior, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. The show will also be held at the hub of Saint Louis Fashion Week, Lumi
re Place Casino & Hotels.

2008 will mark the first-ever Fashion Week for the spring season. "We have such an incredible line up of talented designers and supportive partners this year. It is an honor to be a part of this event and to welcome back Fashion Week this spring," said D
Agostino. "Last fall, we received such an overwhelmingly positive response
not just from the local fashion scene, but from industry leaders all over the nation. We look forward to growing Saint Louis Fashion Week into a monumental tradition that this city, and the entire nation, looks forward to."

Over a dozen parties have been scheduled to take place every day of Fashion Week both before and after the shows at local hotspots, as well as exclusive VIP pre-parties for celebrities, designers and their guests. In addition, the Fashion Week team has arranged for the return of the city-wide St. Louis Shopping Event on March 29, where shoppers will get special Fashion Week discounts on the items and trends that they have seen on the runway. Fashion enthusiasts, local boutiques and downtown businesses are already gearing up for the influx of out-of-towners and the full week of glamour, fashion shows and star-studded after-parties.

August of 2007 marked a ground-breaking first season for Saint Louis Fashion Week. For five nights, the city welcomed hundreds of out-of-towners and St. Louis residents, as fashion enthusiasts flocked to runway shows and after-parties to get a glimpse of the hot new trends, top designers, models and entertainers.

Budweiser Select and BORBA Skin Balance Water, a premium, enhanced water with botanicals, antioxidants and vitamins designed to provide distinct skin-care benefits, are the presenting sponsors of Spring 2008 Saint Louis Fashion Week.

Nest, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women artists and artisans in developing countries by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses through micro-credit loans, is this year's charity partner. Throughout the weeks leading up to Fashion Week, partners and sponsors of Fashion Week will be participating in fundraising efforts for which proceeds will benefit the charity.

Presenting sponsors Budweiser Select and BORBA Skin Balance Water are joined by Macy's, Lumi
re Place Casino & Hotels, ALIVE Magazine St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, State Beauty Supply, Bronx-Diba, M
A
C Cosmetics, Redken, Lori Coulter Swimwear, Lordo's, Mercedes-Benz of Progress Point, Arcturis, Power Couple and St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery.

Event partners include; 963 Collective, Centro Models, Charter On Demand, CheresseInk, Contemporary Art Museum, Contemporary Productions, The Fountain Studio, FOX2, Lucky You, Mother Model Management, NEXT Models, Rock Uniform, Solique Models, STL TV, Synergy Productions LLC, Twist, West Model & Talent Management and charitable partner Nest. Each of these sponsors will be providing a wide array of talent, services and amenities to make Saint Louis Fashion Week 2008 possible.

For more information on Saint Louis Fashion Week 2008, or for press and industry registration, please visit us online at www.saintlouisfashionweek.com