NEW YORK, September 5, 2007 – Continuing its support of the fashion industry, IMPERIA, Russia’s leading luxury vodka, announced today it is the exclusive vodka of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week taking place from September 5-12 in New York. Started in 1993, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has become the premier designer showcase of the latest trends and upcoming collections. Attended by buyers for major stores, the media, fashion stylists, celebrities and other wealthy clientele, New York Fashion Week has become the center of the fashion and entertainment world. Over 60 leading designers will showcase their Spring 2008 collections during New York Fashion Week.

Celebrities, models, designers, and guests from the fashion world will enjoy complimentary IMPERIA cocktails including the IMPERIA VODKA MOJITO and IMPERIA VODKA ON THE ROCKS served daily at the Lotus Bar inside the Bryant Park Tents. Complimentary IMPERIA cocktails will also be served at invitation-only hotspots – the Mercedes-Benz Lounge, IMG Lounge, and W Lounge.

Beyond its presence at the Bryant Park Tents, IMPERIA has been selected as the exclusive vodka at some of the most exclusive after show bashes during New York Fashion Week:

Tuesday, September 4th – Launch Party for Imitation of Christ Spring 2008 Ready-To-Wear
Thursday, September 6th – “Fashion Week Late Night Presented by IMPERIA Vodka” at the Cellar Bar at the Bryant Park Hotel
Sunday, September 9th – Narciso Rodriguez 10th Anniversary Celebration

Roustam Tariko, founder of Russian Standard, said, “We are delighted to be part of the New York Fashion Week once again. IMPERIA is very closely associated with the fashion-forward crowd and we are proud to bring the #1 luxury vodka from the home of vodka to New York.”

IMPERIA’s presence at New York Fashion Week speaks to brand’s longstanding commitment to the global fashion community going back to the memorable launch on Liberty Island in 2005. In February 2007, IMPERIA was the exclusive vodka of New York Fashion Week and was served at some of the hottest after-parties including Proenza Schouler and Narciso Rodriguez. IMPERIA also sponsored Mercedes-Benz Miami Swim Fashion Week in July 2007. In addition to fashion, IMPERIA vodka is heavily involved with the film and entertainment industry. The brand was recently featured in an episode of the HBO hit show The Sopranos and supported the opening night of the Public Theater’s “Romeo & Juliet” in New York City’s Central Park as well as the first-ever Gen Art Chicago Film Festival.

Distilled and bottled in St. Petersburg, IMPERIA’s premium caliber is grounded in the perfect marriage of both Russia’s fabled heritage and its 21st century dynamism. IMPERIA starts with the highest grade of winter wheat from the black soil of the Russian Steppes and is meticulously distilled eight times—four times above the industry average for luxury grade spirit—and then blended with the softest glacial waters from Lake Lagoda. The liquid is then filtered twice through charcoal and twice again through quartz crystals from the Ural Mountains. This process produces purest vodka with the fewest impurities on the market and gives IMPERIA its crystal clear, velvety smooth taste.

About Russian Standard

Founded in 1992 by entrepreneur Roustam Tariko, Russian Standard is a multi-faceted conglomerate comprised of leading businesses in premium vodka, spirits distribution, banking and insurance that form the premiere consumer brand in Russia. Russian Standard vodka is the top-selling premium vodka in Russia, with a 60 percent market share. Sales in Russia and abroad exceed 1.3 million cases per year. Russian Standard’s spirits distribution arm is the leading importer of premium alcoholic beverages into the Russian market. Russian Standard Bank, Russia’s largest consumer finance bank, is the pioneer of Russia’s consumer lending industry. With more than 20,000,000 customers, the bank issues more than 70 percent of credit cards in Russia and 40 percent of point of sale loans, as well as American Express cards in Russia. Russian Standard Insurance is the country’s largest credit life insurance company.

About Russian Standard Vodka

Russian Standard Vodka is the global leader in authentic Russian premium vodka. The Russian Standard vodka portfolio dominates the premium segment in Russia with a 60 percent market share and sales of over 1.3 million cases per year in Russia and 40 export markets across Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Roustam Tariko, the founder of Russian Standard, introduced Russian Standard Original in 1998 as the first authentic Russian premium vodka. Russian Standard vodkas are made with only the finest Russian ingredients, uniquely conforming to the formula for vodka established in 1894 by famed Russian scientist Dimitri Mendeleev for Russia’s Czars. Two years after launch, sales of Russian Standard Original surpassed all imported premium vodkas on the Russian market, leading to broad international expansion and the launch of Russian Standard Platinum in 2001, and Imperia Vodka, the company's luxury brand, in 2004. www.russianstandard.com