ETIHAD AIRWAYS MAKES ITS FASHION RUNWAY DEBUT IN STYLE

• The national airline of the UAE completes its first sponsorship of six Fashion Weeks in partnership with WME | IMG

• Airline is a long-term partner of the fashion industry, supporting 17 Fashion Week events around the world annually

·         Partnership is a cornerstone of Etihad Airways’ wider sponsorship strategy, focused on the key lifestyle pillars of fashion, food and football

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has successfully completed the sponsorship of its first six Fashion Weeks, in partnership with WME | IMG.

Etihad Airways’ support of global fashion began with Fashion Weeks in Sydney, Berlin and Mumbai, culminating with the three major Fashion Weeks in New York, London and Milan.

Patrick Pierce, Etihad Airways Vice President Sponsorship, said: “Our custom partnerships with global Fashion Weeks began in style, with inspirational activations taking place across Europe, Asia and Australia, coupled with unique designer collaborations in each location.

“This alignment is a natural one for our commercial business, but also presents significant brand visibility and advocacy opportunities. It also gives us valuable access to influencers, opinion leaders, media and other stakeholders within the industry, in a manner previously not possible.”

The long-term sponsorship represents an ideal fit for the airline, building a strong link between the quality of the Etihad Airways brand and the ever-evolving fashion industry. The partnership allows the airline to boost its reputation as a provider of world-leading service, hospitality, design and style through the unique association, by promoting passenger and cargo services to the industry in markets which are strategically important to Etihad Airways and the Etihad Airways Partner airlines.

Over the past five months, Etihad Airways has worked with fashion designers and influencers including Oscar de la Renta in Sydney, Manish Malhotra, a favourite designer of Bollywood stars at Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai, Jimmy Choo for its 20^th anniversary celebrations in both New York and London, and more recently with Richard Mortimer, the editor of Rollacoaster magazine, who curated a photo exhibition for the airline on display at the Press and Buyers lounge at London Fashion Week. At Milan Fashion Week, Etihad Airways and its partner Alitalia collaborated with fashion illustrator Megan Hess by hosting a dedicated space at the Unicredit Pavilion, where she personally sketched over 200 of Etihad Airways’ VIPs and special guests.

To celebrate the opening of New York Fashion Week, Etihad Airways flew a NYFW-branded Airbus A380 from Abu Dhabi to New York’s JFK International Airport on 8 September 2016. Upon the aircraft’s arrival, the airline staged a photo shoot in the Etihad Airways First and Business Class Lounge with supermodel Amber Valetta, who features prominently in Jimmy Choo’s 20^th anniversary campaign.

For more information on Etihad Airways’ fashion sponsorship please visit - http://www.etihad.com/en-us/about-us/our-sponsorships/

A selection of images highlighting Etihad Airways’ sponsorship of Fashion Weeks is available for download on the following link: https://we.tl/VFjDZ7Y7wK