In the midst of New York's Mercedes-Benz [2] (formerly-Olympus) Fashion Week, IMG Fashion announced that it will bring a Mercedes Benz sponsored Fashion Week to Berlin in July for the spring 2008 season.

If you haven't already caught on, Fashion Week means big-time exposure for up-and-coming, as well as, seasoned designers, but also even bigger exposure to brands that hope to capitalize on the throngs of people making their way to the tents. Mercedes-Benz already sponsors Fashion Weeks in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and Canada.

According to Fashion Week Daily [3], more than 14,000 people per day visited the tents at Bryant Park in February 2005; this doesn't include the number of people who watch the shows from streaming video on the Internet. For an event sponsor, like Olympus or Mercedes Benz, or even a regional sponsor, this means direct access to the movers and shakers of the fashion world -- the celebutants, the designers, the buyers, and the media.

Even AT&T's wireless unit, formerly Cingular [4] Wireless is jumping into the mix with coverage of Fashion Week offered to its customers . . . for a price. Cingular customers can download designer wallpaper sketches from Tracy Reese and Jenni Kayne for $1.99 each and customers who have the Unlimited Media package ($19.99) can watch the shows from the comfort of their cell.

Generally, this is an effort by these major brands to reach the female consumer who boasts 83% of the buying power in the US. Mark McNabb, Mercedes-Benz US VP of sales told MediaPost, "We have been trying to improve our marketing to a female audience over the past sixteen to eighteen months."

So with Fashion Week being the best way for traditionally macho companies like Mercedes-Benz to reach the female consumer and the power of her Louis Vuitton wallet, will other megla-macho companies jump into the mix soon?