For Jason Wu’s show, IMG Focus. chose the Guggenheim to match the elevated, chic aesthetic of the designer’s collection. The show’s set design was by Chamäleon Visual, with floral design by Emily Thompson Flowers.Photo: @frankholliday/@nyfw/@imgfocus
In addition to producing NYFW: The Shows at Spring Studios, the centralized hub for the tentpole event, IMG Focus.—the full-service creative and event production agency arm of IMG—offers up a client services team that creates, designs, and produces shows, experiential activations, parties, and more. For its latest NYFW, Focus. produced shows at iconic NYC venues including the Guggenheim, the Gotham Hall, and the New York Public Library.
Dominic Kaffka, the senior vice president and managing director at IMG Focus., said that when it comes to selecting a space for a particular show, it “starts with the initial creative of the collection.” The agency then needs to “translate that into visuals and into spaces.” Besides the actual look and feel of the location, Kaffka explained that the team has to consider the whereabouts within the city, its proximity to other show locations, and its availability on specific show dates and times that align with the CFDA schedule. “That's a huge puzzle that we're putting together for our clients.”
He added that designers may rent a space for between two to five days, depending on the setup, which can become pricey, especially in New York. Also, inventory is limited when it comes to show-appropriate spaces, and “most of our clients don't want to show in venues that have been used for other shows in the past,” Kaffka said.
For example, for Jason Wu’s show, IMG Focus. chose the Guggenheim to match the elevated, chic aesthetic of the designer’s collection. Kaffka said that the agency sometimes needs to show designers 10 or 15 venues, but Wu was sold after just one viewing of the museum space. “At the end of the day, you're building a huge set for an eight-minute show, so sometimes less is more. And that was definitely the case for this show,” Kaffka said.
When producing shows in public spaces, Kaffka said that his team tries to keep any disruption as minimal as possible, and makes safety and security a priority. “If Gigi Hadid, for example, is in a show and the show is in a public park, it gets a little more complex when it comes to planning.”
He added that although the production logistics for these kinds of locations might be a little more challenging, “the content and imagery our clients create totally outweigh the additional time and investment that's needed to pull off such a show.” But Kaffka also explained that because venue options will eventually run out, he’s pushing designers to create a permanent home where they can present their shows season after season by simply redesigning the space, similar to what European brands do.
In terms of this season's overall set design themes, Kaffka noted that many designers used creative lighting design that also functioned as scenic design, which allowed them to produce a visually impressive show on a tighter budget, pointing out that concerns about the economy were still top of mind.
Other standout design elements included Area’s squishy banana invite, Thom Browne’s Little Prince-inspired show, and the stacks of books, bread loaves, and spaghetti at the Puppets and Puppets show held at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in New York’s Financial District.
Keep scrolling to see more design inspiration from NYFW Fall/Winter 2023...
