As fashion week gets set to install itself at its new home at Lincoln Center, both public and private groups are working together to get nearby residents involved.
An article in the Wall Street Journal today looks at Fashion Week's move from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center, not just for its physical change, but for the different nuances of a large-scale luxury event taking place a neighborhood that's mostly residential (as opposed to Bryant Park's largely commercial base).
As a result, the mayor's office and Upper West Side City Council representative Gale Brewer are working with the parks department, NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA), Lincoln Center and IMG on methods to appease the concerns of locals over the strain on resources, as well as involve them in the upcoming week of high-traffic, high-production events which will likely have a significant impact on the area.
According to NYCHA, details on specific initiatives between Fashion Week organizers and the neighborhood are pending, but for starters, they'll host a panel discussion for 150 teenage NYCHA residents from Amsterdam Houses—a housing development which abuts Lincoln Center—and other nearby developments. Among those slated to speak to the teens about career options within the fashion industry are designer Rachel Roy, Lincoln Center fashion director Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Teen Vogue fashion news director Jane Keltner de Valle, BCBG VIce President of PR Patric McGregor and Ground Crew founder Audrey Smaltz.
Brewer has also suggested that locals should be incorporated into the workflow of fashion week events, the Journal reports. While NYCHA residents are free to apply for employment opportunities during Fashion Week in February 2011, no official program or relationship has been established specifically, says the NYCHA.
