It's the first Friday of my vacation and I'm sitting in the Fashion Television headquarters for a press conference by LG Canada. I was under the assumption that it was a preview of their new line of fashionably designed phones; I was wrong. It seems LG Canada has decided that they are going to jump into the Canadian Fashion scene with some major sponsorship money in order to "enhance and their support and elevate Canada's fashion industry to new levels". Their targets are L'Oreal Fashion Week (LFW) and Fashion Cares.

LFW was the main topic of the press conference and notable industry folk like Jeanne Beker and Robin Kay got up to talk about the new partnership. LG Canada is dumping a ton of money into fashion week. They are the new executive level sponsors which they say is the first partnership of this type. Beyond providing money, LG Canada will be launching their newest cell phones at the tents in a format that is yet to be discussed. They are also becoming the finale of fashion week - the inaugural LG Fashion Fusion event. From the description, it sounds like this will done in the Fashion Rocks vein with Maroon 5 performing while some yet to be named international design house puts on a fashion show. All of these events will be broadcast on large screens in Nathan's Philips Square in order to bring LFW to the public.

LG Canada is also creating a website (www.LG.ca/fashion) that is supposed to highlight LG's support for the various fashion events in Toronto, but it's really a vehicle for spreading the word about LG Fashion Fusion. They are also giving away tickets to LFW events using this concept called the EGO-System. It's basically a big internet popularity contest. You upload photos of yourself showing off your style and visitors vote on the winner. Let's hope the Something Awful crew doesn't get wind of this. Of course they are targeting aspiring models and there will be an open casting call. The details can be found on the LG fashion site.

With their involvement it looks as if LFW's focus is turning away from industry and is moving more to the consumer side. It would explain the ticket giveaway, the open casting call, the cell phone launch and Maroon 5. LFW has even branded themselves with LG. Robin Kay, President of the FDCC says: "LG has always said that 'Life is Good', but now that LG has truly staked its claim in the fashion world it's safe to say that life is more than good: Life is Fabulous." Fabulous just happens to be this season's theme to LFW... very interesting.

What do I think? I'm not anti-sponsorship, but I hope it brings Canadian designers and the industy to the forefront. I can ignore the fact that Maroon 5 isn't Canadian and that they aren't fashion, but I'm hoping that this international design house has some connection to Canada because if they don't, just how is LG elevating the Canadian fashion industry?

As for Fashion Cares - the details are coming up and it deserves a post of its own.