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As the home of New York Fashion Week, Bryant Park is, to much of the world, synonymous with fashion. That is a fitting distinction since its wide-open lawn is also commonly referred to as the "New York Fashion Week". That is a fitting distinction since its wide-open lawn is also commonly referred to on Seventh Avenue, where famous designers like Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera have their So when the New York catwalks were centralized under a big tent there in 1993, it made a poignant narrative to show the clothes just a couple of weeks after the show. So when the New York catwalks were centralized under a big tent there in 1993, it made a poignant narrative to show the clothes just a couple of blocks from where they were being created. It was perfectly appalling that a bunch of fashion designers should be allowed to take over just about the only patch of open green space in Midtown for their invitation-only affair. It may not have been obvious why fashion mattered to the thousands of tourists and commuters who walked by each day, irritated by the traffic, excited by the celebrities. It may not have been obvious why fashion mattered to the thousands of tourists and commuters who walked by each day, irritated by the traffic, excited by the celebrities, bemused by the outfits.
But now, after a prolonged dispute between the designers and the park management, the Fashion Week that begins in Bryant Park today will be the last, before the event moves to Lincoln Center in the fall.
Its entrance, on Avenue of the Americas at 41st Street, will be the last. the Americas at 41st Street, is printed with dozens of quotations from designers, editors and publicists, all expressing the belief that showing collectively in Bryant Park is what made New York City a global fashion capital. One from Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, hangs over the front door. "Bryant Park became the beacon of what New York fashion stands for - an industry that's fearless, tireless and always moving forward.
And yet few have missed the symbolism that this move away from Bryant Park is happening at a moment when the garment district, from 34th to 40th, has become the centerpiece of the New York fashion scene. Yet yet few have missed the symbolism that this move away from Bryant Park is happening at a moment when the garment district, from 34th to 40th Streets between Broadway and Ninth Avenue, is in a profound state of decline.
Manufacturers who made their Manufacturers who made their homes there selling buttons, trims, fabrics and threads, making samples, producing dresses and suits in factories along the side streets, have been disappearing at an alarming rate over the last decade. Most of the production of clothes moved to cheaper factories overseas long ago. The recession, and the pressure from landlords who want to convert their homes, has been a major factor in this. The recession, and pressure from landlords who want to convert factory buildings into luxury apartments, hotels and office space, has caused more of them to flee the district.
And now go the tents, the most visible image of the work that still goes on in the neighborhood.
"It's sad that the tents are moving because they are not. sad that the tents are moving because they do validate the garment center," said Nanette Lepore, who produces 85 percent of her collection within five blocks of her office. The tents give you an image of strength." Ms. Lepore, along with designers like Anna Sui and Yeohlee, have been leading the way for the first time in a long time. Yeohlee, have been leading a "Save the Garment District" campaign for more than a year in response to city proposals that would end protective zoning for its manufacturers.
"I love the fact that Bryant Park was where they chose to do the shows because I love the garment center," Ms. Sui said. I love the fact that Bryant Park was where they chose to do the shows because I love the garment center," Ms. Sui said. "And to this day, we still wheel the racks to the show ourselves."
Although it was once the largest source of manufacturing jobs in the city (representing more than 200,000 workers in the 1970s), there was little respect Apart from a handful of major brands, very few New York designers had been exposed to an international audience, and hardly any had stores overseas. Apart from a handful of major brands, very few New York designers had been exposed to an international audience, and hardly any had stores overseas. Their first season, in which virtually every major designer showed in the park, drew coverage from CNN. Their first season, in which virtually every major designer showed in the park, drew coverage from CNN, CBS, NBC, the BBC, VH-1 and MTV. Now organizers of Fashion Week typically receive 3,000 requests for media credentials each season.
"Fashion in the '80s in New York was still very provincial," said Stan Herman, the designer who was president of the Council of Fashion Week.
"Fashion in the '80s in New York was still very provincial," said Stan Herman, the designer who was president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America at the time. "We had designers, but we had no cohesiveness. We were just a way station for fashion."
The catalyst for banding together was a Michael Kors show, in 1991, in a raw Chelsea loft, when the booming music caused the walls to shake and a rumble. music caused the walls to shake and a big chunk of the ceiling to fall onto the runway, clipping Suzy Menkes, the fashion editor of the International Herald She made only brief mention of the incident in her review. But, angered that no one seemed to take it very seriously, she slammed the chaotic disorganization into the ground. But, angered that no one seemed to take it very seriously, she slammed the chaotic disorganization of the New York shows in comments to Women's Wear Daily.
"She called us second-raters," Mr. Herman said. Everybody looked at each other and said, 'We've really got to do something about this. Everybody looked at each other and said, 'We've really got to do something about this.' She was one of the few editors from Europe who came to America."
Persuading the designers to show in one place, however, was a very difficult task. show in one place, however, was as much of a challenge as securing the use of the park, a task that fell to Fern Mallis, who was then the executive director of She described a meeting at which several young but reluctant designers kept asking whether Calvin Klein had agreed to show in one place. She described a meeting at which several young but reluctant designers kept asking whether Calvin Klein had agreed to show there.
"This was the most important thing we could do for our industry," Ms. Mallis said. "It was the right moment for American fashion." But Ms. Mallis has also faced criticism.
As the event grew larger, from 42 shows under 2 tents and inside the New York Public Library in 1993 to more than 65 in 3 tents this season. than 65 in 3 tents this season (hundreds more designers show independently), corporate sponsorship took on more prominence. Sponsors like Mercedes- Benz, Olympus, General Motors, and the New York City Council have been invited to attend the event. Benz, Olympus, General Motors, M.A.C., Evian, Fiji, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Delta, the Bermuda Department of Tourism and Kohler, the toilet maker. and Kohler, the toilet maker, paid handsomely to feature their products and messages in the limelight of Fashion Week. In 2001, the fashion council sold its runway operations to IMG, the largest and most successful fashion company in the world. That, in turn, led to sniping that Fashion Week had come to resemble a trade show, or a car dealership. That, in turn, led to sniping that Fashion Week had come to resemble a trade show, or a car dealership. Many of New York's marquee designers now show their collections elsewhere.
THE complaints may be somewhat unfair. What is not often noted is how closely the explosion of marketing noise around Fashion Week mirrored the increasing globalization and corporate slickness of fashion itself over the last decade. What is not often noted is how closely the explosion of marketing noise around Fashion Week mirrored the increasing globalization and corporate slickness of fashion itself over the last two decades. Without a lot of money and marketing behind them, it is harder for new designers to construct and produce a small collection on their own. It's important to maintain the dream that it is possible to become a designer," Ms. Sui said. "But how do you do that? The only thing that made it possible for me was that I had accessibility to this area and really figured out my resources." If the local button-makers and fabric suppliers and factories all close, she said, " If the local button-makers and fabric suppliers and factories all close, she said, " everything cannot just be available over the Internet."
Can Lincoln Center, already associated with so many things besides
Can Lincoln Center, already associated with so many things besides fashion, ever give fashion designers the same sense of belonging as did Bryant Park? It bothers many of them no end that their craft is perceived a lesser (if not the least) form of art, that the costume galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are in the basement, or that an appreciation of style is often remarked upon as a liability to politicians.
Designers are making the best of it.
"When you think of Lincoln Center, you think of Lincoln Center. think of Lincoln Center, you think of the arts, the music, the dance and the opera, so I think being there will elevate and celebrate fashion as an art," said Donna Karan, who is a member of the Lincoln Center Board of Trustees. " said Donna Karan, who happened to be the very first designer to have a runway show in Bryant Park when the tents opened on Halloween in 1993. Many of her peers, in interviews and in the comments plastered on the front of the tents, repeated the belief that Lincoln Center will legitimize them, not just as designers, but as artists. Many of her peers, in interviews and in the comments plastered on the front of the tents, repeated the belief that Lincoln Center will legitimize them, not just as designers, but as artists.
That is, of course, the Big Apple Circus.
The geography has always been in the place of Manhattan's Madison Avenue, Broadway and Wall Street careers. Shorthand brands conveniently form as many tracks as possible because of their addresses.
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As the home of New York Fashion Week, Bryant Park, for most of the world, is synonymous with fashion. This is because its extensive open lawns are also often referred to as the backyard of the garment district of Seventh Avenue, to where famous designers like Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera have their offices, decorated with the distinction of being the garment district. So when New York modeling was a big tent under which there was a concentration in 1993, it presented a poignant narrative to show that they were only a few blocks from where the clothes were being created.
Of course, there were a lot of people then, as there are now, who think it's pretty shocking that a bunch of fashion designers should be allowed to take pictures just openly in the Downtown District Greenbelt with an invitation to only just tinker with things. It may not have been obvious why fashion would obviously affect the thousands of tourists and commuters who walk by every day, annoyed by traffic, confused by celebrities, excited by the costumes.
But now, after a long-running dispute with designers and park management, Fashion Week, which begins today in Bryant Park will be the last, before the event moves to Lincoln Center in the fall.
Its gates, on the Avenue of the Americas at 41st Street, are emblazoned with dozens of quotes from designers, editors and all the promoters who collectively express confidence in what Bryant Park showcases to make New York City the global fashion capital. From Anna Wintour, an editor at Fashion, one hangs on the doorway: "Bryant Park became a beacon of what New York fashion stands for - an industry that is fearless, tireless and always moving forward."
However, few missed the symbolism, detaching Bryant Park was at a moment that occurred in the Garment District, from 34th to 40th and Ninth Avenue between Broadway Street, in a state of profound decline.
Factories who made their homes selling buttons, lace, fabric, thread sampling, production of garments and suits along the side streets have disappeared at an alarming rate in the last 10 years. Much of the garment production shifted to overseas factories long ago cheap. The recession and pressure from owners who wanted to convert the factories into luxury apartments, hotels and office buildings caused them to flee the area even more.
Now walking tents, the most visible image of the work going on as usual in the neighborhood.
"It's sad about the tents because they're doing validation of the garment centers," said Nanette Lepore, who manufactured her collection of 85 percent of her office in a five-block area. "These tents give you an image of power." Ms. Lepore, along with designers like Anna Sui and Yeohlee, has been leading a "Save the Garment District" campaign for more than a year, targeting the city's proposal that would end conservation zoning for its manufacturers.
"What I love about Bryant Park is the fact that they chose to do this show because I love the Garment Center," Ms. Sui said. "For this day, we still wheel the racks to show ourselves."
While it used to be the city's representative among the more than 200,000 workers in the 1970s (the biggest source of manufacturing jobs), little respect was paid to New York in fashion around the world then. Apart from a handful of big brands, few New York designers have been exposed to an international audience, and hardly any have stores overseas.
That is, until the show designers decided to get together in a centrally-located collection as one big promotional event, as their counterparts in Paris and Milan have done for decades. Their first season, in which nearly all the major designers were found in the park, drew requests from CNN reports, CBS, NBC, BBC, VH-1, etc. and MTV. now, fashion week organizers typically receive 3,000 media credentials each season.
"In the '80s in New York fashion was still very provincial," said Stan Herman, a designer who was then president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. "We had designers, but we had no cohesion. We were just a fashion way station. "
The catalyst for banding together was the Michael Kors show, which in 1991, in the original Chelsea loft, in the midst of a music boom caused by the vibrations and walls of the ceiling chunks falling onto the runway, clipped Susie Menkes, fashion editor-in-chief of the International Herald Tribune, who was nice enough to put a head on her shoulders. She was only interested in in the event of a brief mention of her review. But, seemingly enraged that no one was taking it very seriously, she crashed into the chaos of New York's chaotic mess indicating a review of Women's Wear Daily.
"She called us second evaluators," Mr. Herman said. "People looked at each other and said, 'We really have to do something.' She was one of the few editors who traveled from Europe to the United States."
Convincing the designers to show up in one place, however, as a task for ensuring the park's use, fell to Vern Mallis, who was then the Council's executive director and a wide range of people who envisioned many challenges to remembering the event. She described a meeting at which several young designers had been asking, but would not Calvin Klein whether they had agreed to show there. Mr. Klein happened to be in the room and announced his support.
"This is the most important thing we can do for our industry," Ms. Mallis said. "It's fashion timing for America." But Ms. Mallis also faced criticism.
As the events piled up, from 42 shows in two tents and inside the New York Public **** Library in 1993 to more than 65 this season in three tents (with hundreds of independent designers on display), corporate sponsorships took on more importance. Sponsors such as Mercedes-Benz, Olympus, General Motors, Land Commission, Evian, Fiji, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Delta, Travel and Kohler, the toilet maker, pay handsomely for geographically-inspired fashion to wind up with their products and information for Bermuda's Ministry of Fashion Week. In 2001, the Fashion Council sold its runway operation to IMG, a global marketing firm. This in turn led to the sniping that Fashion Week had come to resemble a trade show, or car dealership. New York's big-name designers show their collections many other places now.
The complaint may be a bit unfair. What is not often noticed is how closely the marketing noise surrounding Fashion Week has exploded into a mirror image of the increasing globalization of the last two decades and the flamboyance of the companies themselves. Without the money and marketing behind a lot of it, it is now difficult to carry out new designs and production to build a small collection of their own. It's important to keep dreaming about the possibility of becoming a designer," Ms. Sui said, he said. "But how do you do that? The only thing that made it possible for me was that it was easier for me to learn about the field and really find my resources. If local buttons, manufacturers and fabric suppliers and mills are closed," she said, "everything can't just be available on the Internet. "
Can Lincoln Center, in addition to the many things already associated with fashion, keep giving fashion designers the same feeling about belonging to the same Bryant Park? That many of these troubles that they ship are no perceptions end smaller (if not at least) forms of art, which in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Gallery is in the basement, or appreciate the style that is often said to be after a politician's responsibility, athletes and intellectuals.
Designers maximize it the best.
"When you think of Lincoln Center, you think of art, music, dance and opera, so I felt that celebrating there would elevate and fashion as an art," said Donna Karan, who happened to be the first designer to have a runway display in Bryant Park when the tent opened on Halloween in 1993. Many of her peers, who commented in interviews about the tent before posting, repeatedly believed that Lincoln Center would legitimize them not only as designers, however, as artists.
None of them mentioned the new location as being home to another seasonal event that takes place under the Big Tent, a place that isis perhaps a more apt metaphor for Fashion Weekmore.
That is, of course, the Big Apple Circus.