New York Fashion Week “Going From the Stone Age to 2090”

…or at least that what’s Peter Levy, senior VP of IMG Fashion Worldwide, said about the most recent change to the epic event. New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will be an interesting test of new (old) technology to streamline the entire event. That’s right, New York will now use barcodes to make planning for and executing the massive event that is fashion week a smidgen easier.

Photo via drspam on Flickr

Traditionally, getting into the shows at fashion week have resembled the long lines at the clubs the same fashionistas inhabit on their downtime. Fashion VIPs like Anna Wintour were escorted to their seats while the rest were left to crowd around an event employee with a clipboard in order to learn their seat assignments. And if someone did not show up, there was a mad scramble to fill seats.

With the new plan, emails are sent to guests who then RSVP via a website. After RSVPing, guests are emailed a barcode to be scanned upon their arrival at the event. Upon arrival, check-in kiosks scan barcodes and provide guests with seat assignments. The system allows for a digital seating chart, making switching people around at the last minute much easier. It also eliminates the threat of gate crashing because you no longer have a tired employee looking through a list of 700+ names.{Wall Street Journal} Sorry, Becca Shumlin – you’ll have to go even further with technology to crash this time.

The new technology also comes at another pivotal time for New York Fashion Week. With the event having grown so massive that technology is needed to check in, it has also outgrown it long-time cradle of Bryant Park. With the tents moving to Damrosch Park, the Lincoln Center complex is participating to expand the event even more and make it a “performance” on par with the other events associated with the arts center. Designers not previously seen at New York Fashion Week, like Jill Stuart and Catherine Maladrino, will occupy non-tent spaces in an effort to keep designers from straying from the event area to hold their shows. {Wall Street Journal}

All of these changes will certainly make this Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week one to remember.