Radar: NYFW to debut at Lincoln Center
Is it true? The legendary New York Fashion Week is moving from Bryant Park? Yes, the rumors are right. IMG announced today that NYFW 2010 will take place at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. This morning, Diane Von Furstenberg spoke at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium about the big change for the iconic fashion event. Von Furstenberg said, “The important thing about this is we want to make New York Fashion Week the absolute most exciting fashion week.”
Diane Von Fursternberg, Anna Wintour, and NYFW founder Fern Mallis have been scouting New York locations for the perfect spot for the September soiree. Mallis, who was recently in the news for leaving IMG as Senior VP, is continuing to consult for the event on behalf of her consultancy, Fern Mallis LLC. The duration of her involvement is up in the air, told reporters “If they continue to need me and I want to do it, then great, we’ll go on longer than what we agreed to now.”
The reason for the move? Bryant Park isn’t big enough. The event has been filled to the brim with approximately 232,000 visitors every summer. Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Director of Fashion for Lincoln Center (& ex-Vogue staffer) revealed that the new location would be substantially larger in every aspect, from the lobbies to the stages and venues. Another concern that has been on the forefront of Fashion Week is the fact that people have to run all over the city to catch shows that don’t preview at Bryant Park. Wolkoff said Lincoln Center will solve the problem, “I think that we can definitely bring many more under one umbrella and one destination so that all the editors and press are not running all over to different places and it’s more centralized.”
Besides tons of new space, Lincoln Center will also boast the first ever presentation-only space for Fashion Week. “The Box”, a small venue will seat 125 people for more informal presentations and is being built specifically for the Mercedes Benz sponsored event.
However, the event isn’t just changing superficially but internally as well. As technology and social media has melted away communication barriers, Fashion Week will mold to become more interactive with the city and its inhabitants. Television screens along 65th street, pop up shops, designer lectures and live streaming are just some of the additions to the affair’s to-do list. Not to mention, IMG partnered with industry leader Fashion GPS to make the event more cyber savvy.
Mercedes Benz, the headlining sponsor since 2001, coulnd’t be happier about the change, “The industry support and innovation being utilized to transform Lincoln Center into the new home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a testament to New York City’s premier status among the greatest fashion capitals of the world,” said Stephen Cannon, Vice President of Marketing.
Not sure what to think? Head to NYC on September 9 to find out.
Tagged in: new york, new york, fashion week, diane von furstenberg, vogue, fern mallis, mercedes benz, anna wintour, img,
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