Will New York Fashion Shows Land at The Shed?
Sources indicate the new West Side venue will host future catwalks, but nothing’s been set yet.
So when will New York Fashion Week set up its fashion shows at the Shed, which opens April 5?
For years, reports have been circulating that the fashion shows would take place at The Shed once it was completed. The Shed revealed Wednesday that the new nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to commissioning, developing and presenting original works of art, across all disciplines for all audiences, will have its opening season starting April 5. The Shed looks to present world premiere works in the performing arts, visual arts and popular culture.
“We have built a home where established and emerging artists working in all disciplines can create new work in ways that we cannot even imagine,” said Alex Poots, artistic director and chief executive officer of The Shed.
And, where does fashion fit in?
Ivan Bart, president of IMG Models and IMG Fashion Properties, said, “We are hosting NYFW: The Shows at Spring Studios this February, and our focus is on the upcoming season. The Shed is an exciting new development with incredible potential to enhance New York’s culture, and we’re confident many of our talent at Endeavor, whether with IMG or WME, will perform or engage with the space.” He declined to discuss whether The Shed will be part of NYFW: The Shows’ future plans. IMG owns and produces NYFW: The Shows, the central hub of NYFW.
A spokeswoman for The Shed had no update about Fashion Week.
Sources indicate that ultimately the plan is for the fashion shows to take place at The Shed, but nothing’s been set yet.
When asked whether New York fashion shows would ultimately show at The Shed, Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, said via e-mail, “As I’ve said that in the past, we don’t produce shows. We are the official organizer and schedulers of New York Fashion Week and accompanying shows throughout the city. Actual production venues vary, with IMG hosting a significant number of shows. That’s a question for IMG and The Shed whether they plan to work together or if the Shed has their independent plans.”
Before landing at Spring Studios, the New York fashion shows traveled from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center to Skylight Moynihan and Skylight Clarkson.
The Shed’s building, located on
West 30th Street between 10th and
11th avenues, has been named The Bloomberg Building, after former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who gave $75 million. The Shed’s Bloomberg Building is a 200,000-square foot structure that can physically transform to support artists’ ideas. The eight-level base building includes two column-free galleries totaling 25,000 square feet; a 500-seat theater that can be subdivided into intimate spaces, and on the top floor, The Tisch Skylight for events and artist rehearsals, and The Tisch Lab for artist development. In fact, The Shed revealed a gift of $27.5 million from Jonathan M. Tisch, vice chairman of its board of directors, and his wife, Lizzie Tisch. Their gift supports the building’s construction and includes a $10 million challenge grant to a newly formed Commissioning Fund, to support the creation of new work at the Shed, along with the two major spaces on the building’s top level named for them.
A hallmark of The Shed is a movable outer shell that can double the building’s footprint when deployed over the adjoining plaza to create The McCourt, a 17,000-square-foot light, sound and temperature-controlled, multi-use hall that can accommodate large-scale performances, installations and events.
To date, The Shed has raised $488 million toward its capital campaign goal of $550 million, which includes building costs, organizational start-up expenses and the Commissioning Fund.
The Shed’s Bloomberg Building is designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, lead architect, and Rockwell Group, collaborating architect.