Press Release
June 2012
P’9981 Smartphone Makes its Canadian Debut
Porsche Design launches its Lifestyle Collection in Canada
Stuttgart/Toronto. Today’s official opening of the Porsche Design store, on Bloor Street, Toronto’s fashionable “Mink Mile”, marks the launch of the international luxury brand’s first store in Canada. The launch features the Canadian debut of the new and extraordinary Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone from BlackBerry®.
The sleek 1600-square foot Porsche Design store in Toronto, showcases a luxury lifestyle collection with a particular focus on technically inspired products in which, “Design Meets Function”. Founded back in 1972 Porsche Design is featuring men’s and women’s fashion apparel, luggage, men’s active wear, writing tools, timepieces, eyewear, fragrances, leather goods, jewelry and classic accessories.
In its rich 40-year history, Porsche Design has introduced some of the world’s most iconic fashion statements, including the classic aviator sunglasses with its innovative interchangeable lens-mechanism (1978) and the world’s first black watch (1972), which revolutionized the whole watch industry. It is only fitting that Porsche Design Toronto introduces Canada to the elite Porsche Design P’9981 Smartphone from BlackBerry®. Exclusively available at the Porsche Design Toronto store, the award-winning Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone is creating an international sensation.
“Since 1972 Porsche Design has presented milestone products with iconic style, and the P’9981 Smartphone from BlackBerry will be our next landmark,” said Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO of the Porsche Design Group. “The pure and distinctive design, coupled with authentic materials and an emphasis on the manufacturing process, perfectly match our philosophy and complement the Porsche Design product assortment.”
“This collaboration stems from the shared belief that form equals function,” said Todd Wood, Senior Vice President for Industrial Design, Research In Motion. “The Porsche Design P’9981 is a truly modern luxury Smartphone, where the timeless style of Porsche Design meets the unmatched mobile experience provided by BlackBerry.“
“At Porsche Design we believe to be cool is very easy for a brand, but to continue to stay cool in the future is the challenge. This means that you cannot follow trends but instead get the most out of what is working for a particular trend, while staying true to your history and heritage,” says Dr. Juergen Gessler. “It is important to be young in mind and interested in innovative ideas.”
“I am thrilled and honoured to bring Porsche Design to Canada, specifically to Toronto’s fashionable Bloor Street,” says Khalid Kadrie, Canadian Partner for Porsche Design. “Much of what is in our Porsche Design collection has not been seen before. We believe consumers of luxury fashion are going to be excited with the elegance and range of our products.”
Porsche Design is a luxury brand with a particular focus on technically inspired products, which stand for functional, timeless and purist design ever since. The brand was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. All the brand’s products are designed in the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See (Austria) and sold around the world in the company’s own stores, shop-in-shops, high-end department stores and exclusive specialist retailers.
