Smart cars get the designer treatment

The Mercedes-Benz brand partners with a Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit in Montreal.

Smart Canada has partnered with the Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier for the “From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, becoming the exhibit’s automotive sponsor.

The partnership includes giving a fleet of Smart cars a new look, courtesy of Montreal-based agency Quai 42. They were custom wrapped with Jean Paul Gaultier’s trademark navy blue and white striped pattern, JoAnne Caza, communication and public relations director at Mercedes-Benz tells MiC. The six custom cars will roam the city and be displayed within select locations at The Bay, including stints at the department store in Vancouver and Toronto.

The Jean Paul Gaultier “From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” exhibit features innovative technology in the form of mannequins with projected faces that move and speak. The exhibit runs from June 17 to Oct. 2 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.