FERN MALLIS interview: NY Fashion Week 2/12/09-2/20/09

LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER NY FASHION WEEK

Ever wondered what life was like before NY Fashion Week?

On Tuesday, February 16, 2009, we caught up with FERN MALLIS, Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion. Ms. Mallis not only coordinates Fashion Weeks around the world, but successfully organized 7th on 6th, the first NY Fashion Week event held at the Tents in Bryant Park. Life before Fern Mallis was hectic! Before 1993, New York City designers actually produced their own fashion presentations in about 50 separate locations throughout New York City! Whew.



Simone Butterfly (SB): Reading about your career in fashion gives me goose bumps. It is very hard to imagine that New York Fashion Week is only about 15 yeas old. For those that don’t know, how did 7th on 6th get her start?

Fern Mallis (FM): Well it was an accident. There was a ceiling crash at Michael Kors’ loft space in 1991. The models [Linda, Naomi, Cindy] came down the runway just as pieces of plaster started to fall.

The foreign journalists wrote the next day “We live for fashion; we don’t die for it.” The director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) said, we better get this organized!

SB: We consider you to be the Fashion Ambassador. How many cities around the world are hosting Fashion Week a la IMG?

FM: Well IMG does a number of Fashion Week events around the world. Some are a little more marginal and regional and local to their markets. But, we do Mercedes Benz Fashion Week here in New York [twice a year]. We produce Fashion Week in Miami and Berlin. We do Fashion Fringe in London. We have Rosemont Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia. We do Luxury Week for Hong Kong. We also do [an event in] Kuala Lumpur. We are adding Istanbul Fashion Week and we do a Fashion Week in Moscow.

SB: Do you think the Fashion Week concept can work anywhere?

FM: Well apparently the answer is …yes. (smile)

SB: What about the Washington, DC market?

FM: Well, [Fashion Week for] DC would not be an industry tradeshow. But, I mean Cleveland has [a Fashion Week]! And if Cleveland can have a Fashion Week anybody can. The Cleveland Fashion Week is really more of a consumer event with shows for customers. This is a good concept for some cities.

SB: I remember a Press Release about a year or two ago announcing the launch of a Consumer Fashion Week…

FM: We did something for a couple of seasons in San Francisco and Houston called Fashion Week Live.

SB: How did it do?

FM: It did very well. But it was a very expensive proposition. We are going to look at some new models for this event going forward.

SB: Mayor Bloomberg seems to be very supportive of Fashion Week and the new move to take Fashion Week from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center. Was it difficult to get New York government officials to support the Fashion Week concept?

FM: No this event brings in about four hundred thirty five (435) million dollars a season in related spending. It brings in over a billion and a half dollars in tax revenue and salaries for the fashion industry in the garment center here. Annually it brings in close to nine hundred (900) million dollars. This is an economic engine for one of New York’s most important industries. So, the city, very smartly, is supportive. But, [the city] also needed us to be out of Bryant Park and they wanted to make sure that Fashion Week found a new home and did not just fold up its tent and move on.

SB: Well Darling, there you have it!

Not only can fashion generate GOOGABS of money for our beleaguered cities, it can bring fashion mavens from competing houses together under one roof!

FEEL THE LOVE,

Simone.

According to Tracy Cooper of TEENS COUNT, DC Youth Want More Fashion

Mayor Fenty's Passport to Work Summer Program for DC children starts on Monday, June 16, 2008. Many DC youth have expressed an interest in working in the WDC fashion arts industries. Ms. Tracey Cooper is Founder and President of Teens Count, a non-profit in WDC with a special affinity for inspiring youth to pursue careers in fashion. Tracey knows first hand that DC youth are talented, creative and spirited. It's up to us to help our youth channel their interests into productive activities!


Mariessa (M): What sets your non-profit apart from other youth groups?

Tracy Cooper (T): Our non profit is provides rewarding experiences for youth interested in the performing arts ages 12-19. We focus on building character and self esteem.

M: When we think about performing arts, we don’t always think of fashion or fashion careers. How does fashion fit into your curriculum?

T: I think that fashion is art. It is creative. Our program fuses fashion and theater. Students learn theatrical techniques such as improvisation, runway techniques and auditioning techniques. These techniques translate into interviewing skills. They also learn how to build props and staging, set-up lighting, etc. I think this definitely translates into fashion and the arts.

M: Tell us about your annual youth program, the School Fashion Battle.

T: Ten metropolitan area high schools competing in the battle, a fusion of fashion and theater. The students have worked for four months on this program. It is an extra-curricular in school activity. The students select themes, choreograph and execute an 8 minute scene idea. The culminating event is January 19.

M: What I found to be interesting is that today, fashion is helping to spur a renaissance in DC. Why do you think your event resonates with so many youth in this area?

T: I think they see it as an opportunity to “represent” their school. This is our fifth year hosting the event. In 2004, the Battle was held at Bowie State University. The capacity was 999. The next year we held the production at the University of Maryland theater which holds 1250. The next year, Then we moved to the Camelot of Upper Marlboro. Their ballroom holds 1875 people. We sold out that venue. Then, we moved it to Constitution Hall in 2007 and 2008.

M: That is amazing. That really shows that you are not only doing a wonderful job but it shows that the DC students are really fascinated with fashion and showcasing their creativity!

T: I think the interest in creative programs has grown. It has blossomed in the past seven years. We live in a creative culture now. We have a huge creative side that we need to address. It is critical that we massage their interests and provide programming that can hold the attention of our students. That has been a blessing to me.

M: Have any of your students pursued careers in the fashion industry?

T: We have several students at the Fashion Institute of TEchnoligy in NY. One of my students s attending a design school in California. Last year, the winning team went up to NYC to meet Russell Simmons and one of my students got an internship with Russ Philanthropic. We have several students with great success stories. We find that this program inspires them to pursue an eduation!

In order to participate, students have to come to school and have to have at least a 2.5 grade point average. This is higher than the DC Public School requirement which is 2.0 (a D average). The program motivates students to do better in school.
In addition, we surround our student participants with role models. Additionally, we create programming that is not only fun but helps to build strong characters and better values.

M: Exactly and I would add that Teen Count is an in-school program. So the students are in a controlled positive environment between 3pm and 7 pm.

T: This is critical. I think that this is a critical hour because a lot of our parents are at work and we have a lot of latch key kids. Unfortunately, our teens are falling prey to drug addition, gang violence, alcohol addition , teen age pregancy. This is a positive activity a safe place for our youth.

M: You were kind enough to testify on June 15, in support of the legislation to create a Fashion Commission in DC. Do you think the F Commission will help?

T: It will help our non-profit organization and our mission because we have applied for several grants with the Commission on the Arts and Humanities and we have been told that fashion does not fit into ther criteria that they are looking to support. I find it challenging to get grants that support fashion programs even though I think fashion is a form of art. I am hoping that the Commission can help.
Fashion is a viable and marketable subject matter. A lot of our kids are interested in it. It also builds character and self esteem.

M: If you have an opportunity to have an audience with the Mayor or the Office of Economic Development is there anything specific that you’d like to tell them about your needs?

T: Needs-the students participate in this particular program and there is no funding provided for their participation. They create their own costumes, build and develop their own sets and props. Yet there is absolutely no funding and no support for that development. It is a four month extracurricular in school activity that has absolutely no funding. So often times these kids have to come out of their own pockets to find money to build sets, create their costumes, etc. Teens Count goes into the school and provides workshops. People volunteer their time and teach the students proper technique. Often times, it is challenging for me to find people with the proper skill sets to teach these classes for free.
In addition to funding, we would ask the Administration to attend the events. Hopefully this year, we will have Council Members to attend.

M: On a different note, I am proud to say that DC is on the move. There are tons of new boutiques cropping up in WDC. What are you favorite shops?

T: There are so many but my favorites are Wild Women Wear Red and Pink November.

M: Thanks Tracey!