Even those in the know have had a hard time keeping up with speculations and moves concerning New York Fashion Week. One season everyone is in the tents, the next we’re schlepping out to Brooklyn, after that everyone was expected to leave Lincoln Center for Hudson Yards—even though the designated space, Culture Shed, won’t be complete until 2018. And despite the recent acquisition of NYFW by the CFDA, things don’t seem to be getting much better. But one decision has been made for them by The Supreme Court of the State of New York County—Fashion Week will no longer take place in Lincoln Center. Yep, they’re getting kicked out.
The court ruling declared that the city will not be renewing its licensing agreement with IMG Fashion, which expires in February, meaning this season’s Fall/Winter 15/16 runway shows are going to be the last in the space. The location has been in dispute since May 2013, with advocates, environmental committees and locals arguing that the park has been used for the wrong purpose for far too long. The court sites that IMG Fashion failed to comply with city charter by using the space for “non-park purposes.”
While the park is permanently allocated for fine arts like the ballet, opera and symphony, many felt that the space was too rigid for the flamboyancy of fashion, and moved their shows to shipyards, industrial lots and independent art space in Chelsea to allow themselves more creative control over their shows. But while many designers are showing more independently of the designated NYFW locations, getting the boot will still cause a scramble to find a new, albeit temporary, space by September.
