Come September 9, Fashion Week is going to look a whole lot different at Lincoln Center than it used to at the tents. Not only will there be a new facade, there'll also a video wall, centralized invitations, and more.
The new chief architect of all things Fashion Week for September is ex-Vogue staffer Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff, who emphasized that the new week will put a strong focus on inclusiveness: The public will become more a part of Fashion Week than ever, with special events like the massive fashion show planned for Fashion's Night Out to the presence of several special presentation centers outside the tents, where those outside the industry can take a peek at certain collections.
Mercedes-Benz will remain the sponsor of the tents (having renewed its agreement with IMG for the next three years), and the trade-centric side of the festivities will get a much-needed tech upgrade. For one, the registration and credentialing process on the main website will be revamped, and -- through a partnership with Fashion GPS -- there'll be a new effort to centralize invitations and RSVPs (a long overdue improvement). Get this: There may even be bar codes attached to some invitations, allowing self-check-in for those invited to the shows.
Though the individual runway spaces will be about the same size as the Bryant Park spaces, the overall footprint of Lincoln Center's Fashion Week will be much larger, including five main venues: For runway shows, the Theatre will seat 969 people and includes a massive upstage video wall, the Stage seats 740, and the Studio seats 396. For presentations, the Box provides a more intimate, 125-person location, while the tree-filled courtyard could be a lush option.
Many of the innovations are absolutely spot-on and long overdue, but whether it will all come together just right on the new venue's inaugural run is really anyone's guess.
