NEW YORK, Dec 3, 2003/ FW/ --- Just as people were getting used to calling New York Fashion Week as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, 7th on Sixth announced that it has signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Olympus, a leading camera brand.

Beginning with the Fall 2004 season, which will be held at New York’s Bryant Park from Feb 6-13, 2004, New York Fashion Week will be called “Olympus Fashion Week.”

With the title sponsorship agreement, Olympus captured the pinnacle of fashion in the U.S. With over 120 catwalk shows, both on the official and unofficial schedules, New York Fashion Week is the most widely attended fashion event in North America.

There are roughly 1,800 registered press and 500 photographers from 32 countries who attend the bi-annual event. With at least two television networks, and hundreds of print ad online publications covering the show, it is also the most widely publicized.

"As fashion week and the shows are about communicating the designer's vision to the world through the photographer's lens, partnering with a camera company with the status, style and design of Olympus makes sense on every level. Without the pictures - and the cameras - would there be a fashion week?” said Fern Mallis, Executive Director of 7th on Sixth in a statement.

“Olympus' commitment to the fashion photographers, along with their passion for partnering with style makers and trendsetters, truly makes them the perfect partner," she added.

“Fashion Week provides a great opportunity for us to share our vision of stylish innovation with the fashion community, professional photographers, style-savvy consumers and with retailers,” commented Martin Lee, vice president, marketing, Consumer Products Group, Olympus America.

Olympus became involved with New York Fashion Week in September 2003 as the official camera sponsor.

With a particular focus on the over 400 professional photographers who cover the shows, Olympus provided a series of special programs and services designed to assist photographers with their work during the week.

These services included shuttle buses to and from off-site shows, food and beverage service between shows and daily back massages.

The September shows coincided with the introduction of the Olympus E-1, the world's first 100% digital interchangeable lens SLR system.

The Olympus Lounge in the lobby of the Bryant Park Tents also featured a large wall of behind-the-scenes photographs taken at the event with the Olympus E-1.

In February and moving forward, Olympus will continue its celebration of Fashion Week photography.