NEW YORK, Sep 16, 2002/ FW/ --- When Bryant Park opens its doors to the Spring 2003 season of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week on September 18th, Saks Fifth Avenue customers will be doing some serious shopping!

On September 18th - 21st, Saks Fifth Avenue's fourth annual shopping weekend to benefit Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, a charitable initiative of the Council of Fashion Designers of America takes place. All of of Saks Fifth Avenue's 61 stores nationwide is participating.

Christina Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises, says, "As a woman, wife and mother, I realize that it is extremely important for Saks Fifth Avenue to be engaged in fighting a disease that poses such an enormous threat to women's health and all too often the lives of their friends and family."

Saks has raised over $6 million for local and national breast cancer charities since it created this shopping event in 1999. All of the money stays in the local markets where it was raised, helping local breast cancer centers with research and treatment for the more than 200,000 new breast cancer cases diagnosed each year.

Gabriel Hortobagy, MD, professor of medicine and chair of the department of breast medical oncology at Houston's MD Anderson, says, "We are very grateful that an organization like Saks contributes precious funds to us. They allow us to do things we otherwise couldn't do." One of the largest cancer centers in the nation, MD Anderson has received over $3 million from Saks Fifth Avenue. Much of the Saks-funded research is done in the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Research Group, which includes 150 of the cancer center's physicians and research scientists.

Another of Saks' beneficiaries is Los Angeles's Cedars Sinai, Women's Cancer Research Institute. Beth Karlan, MD, believes, "There are a lot of good ideas out there. That's not what's holding us back from finding a cure. It's having the capital to recruit the best scientists to bring those ideas to fruition. You need luck, hard work, passion and commitment. But without the funding to shepherd those dreams through, it will not happen. This is an ideal opportunity for real breakthroughs in cancer research and therapeutics. I truly believe that women being diagnosed with cancer today have a good chance at a cure in their lifetimes."

Mercedes-Benz USA has generously agreed to be the national sponsor for this year's shopping weekend and has also designed a limited number of special-edition 2003 CLK 500 Coupes exclusively for Saks Fifth Avenue's Fashion Targets Breast Cancer efforts. The 61 special-edition coupes will be on display at each Saks Fifth Avenue store during Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

Iman, supermodel, philanthropist, businesswoman, wife and mother is this year's "spokesperson" for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. Residing in New York, Iman is married to musician/actor David Bowie, and her commitment to helping find a cure for breast cancer has helped drive this year's event.

CFDA Executive Director, Peter Arnold, notes, "For the past three years, FTBC's collaboration with Saks Fifth Avenue has been an immensely important one for breast cancer organizations across the country. I am extremely pleased to continue our partnership for this year's Shopping Weekend."