CARRERA Cafe Fuels Artists & VIPs in Austin During SXSW

CARRERA Sunglasses, in association with BMF Media Group, will present the CARRERA Cafe in Austin, Texas during the SXSW Music Festival from March 19-21, 2009. The CARRERA Cafe is a three-day restaurant and lounge exclusive to artists, celebrities, media, VIPs and tastemakers attending the festival. Held at the North Patio of the downtown Austin hotspot Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, the CARRERA Cafe will feature a full service restaurant where artists, celebrities and guests can indulge in Moonshine's signature food & drinks. The cafe will also welcome media to take full advantage of the air conditioned suites for artist and celebrity interviews, as well as a place to file stories with the use of free wifi/internet access. Throughout the weekend, the CARRERA Cafe will serve as not only a respite, but also as the must attend destination during the festival.

The cafe will also boast daily complimentary VIP amenities including a full service bar featuring drinks from Belvedere Vodka, Monster Energy, IZZE, and Cafe Bustelo Coffee. Guests will also be treated to the FIJI Water Detox Spa where they will be pampered with massages and other spa treatments. Artists and celebrities will also be able to receive goodies from CARRERA Sunglasses and Ben Sherman, as well as TOMS Shoes. In addition, Dada Entertainment will be housed within the cafe and conduct artist interviews at Moonshine's very own wine cellar. The interviews will be available on Dada.net during the festival.

"Sponsoring the CARRERA Cafe is the perfect vehicle for us to introduce the artists and tastemakers attending the SXSW Music Festival to the CARRERA sunglass brand which is launching nationally this month," said Robin Scheer Ettinger, Vice President of Marketing for Safilo USA. "We look forward to seeding our vintage styles which have been a huge hit in Europe and believe that this effort will play a strong role in the re-branding of this iconic eyewear collection in the States."

The CARRERA collection of sunglasses and optical frames is produced and distributed by Safilo Group. The new CARRERA "vintage" sunglass collection is based on the brand's original '70s and '80s popular designs. March 2009 marks the national launch of CARRERA vintage sunglasses with a collection of 13 retro offerings now being carried by major department stores and specialty stores.