fall 2009

Carmen Marc Valvo Got a Free Space for Fashion Week

For some designers, looking for a space to hold their show at New York Fashion Week next month is getting to be like the apartment hunt people who don’t star in The City go through. Finding something good and affordable seems like an impossible dream. The Bumble and Bumble space isn’t an option for the fall 2009 season, and though IMG was looking for a space to offer to designers staging presentations, they won’t have one until September Fashion Week.

But Fashion Week den mother Fern Mallis is optimistic, “without wanting to sound like a Bernie Madoff where everything is perfect,” she tells WWD. Invoking Madoff doesn’t exactly give us peace of mind.

So far, 59 designers are committed to the tents and 8 to off-site venues. Carmen Marc Valvo, on the other hand, managed to wrangle a free space. He’ll stage his three-hour presentation at Citrine in the Flatiron District. We’re a little surprised, since the last time we went to an event at Citrine the people were sweaty, unexpected surfaces were wet, and the open bar only included tequila. It didn’t exactly scream “Show lovely evening gowns here,” but maybe it was just that night.

Alexander Wang will show his collection in Roseland Ballroom, which costs a paltry $18,000, while the tents cost from $28,000 to $48,000. Alex will skip his after party this season, known as one of the coolest (figuratively) and sweatiest (literally) nights of the week. A spokeswoman says the economy isn’t to blame for the cancellation. The company felt last year’s party, at which Foxy Brown staged a surprise performance, would be hard to top, and wanted to focus on the clothes this year.

Meanwhile, Marc Jacobs plans to show at the Lexington Avenue Armory, which embroiled the company in a bribery scandal costing $1 million last year. The expense is unknown and the contract is still being ironed out, but the superintendent said it “shouldn’t be a problem.” Minus the whole bribery-scandal thing, at least some things never change.

Designers Entertain Offsite Locations for Fall shows [WWD]

Carmen Marc Valvo Got a Free Space for Fashion Week