1. NEW YORK FASHION WEEK AND LAURIE DEJONG PART WAYS: In the wake of many changes at New York Fashion Week—reportedly rendering it unrecognizable to some veterans—Laurie DeJong of LDJ, which has been considered “the production agency of record” since 2013, has broken from IMG, the event’s owner. A fixture at New York Fashion Week since 2002, DeJong said she’ll still handle some non-IMG shows. New York Post: “A fashion insider (who’s perhaps a touch defensive of DeJong), quipped, 'There’s not a single person at IMG who can build a runway, so unless the future of Fashion Week is watching catastrophic runway collapses, that’s going to be a problem.' But IMG told us that, quite to the contrary, they’ll be relying on their in-house production team, Focus, which will take over many of the duties of LDJ.”
2. EIFFEL TOWER SHUT DOWN AMID STRIKES IN PARIS: As strikes rage on in the City of Lights, the destination’s star attraction, the Eiffel Tower, was shut down earlier this week for the second time in a month. A battle over pensions is raging across France, prompting labor to grind to a halt throughout the country. Eiffel Tower staff reportedly walked off the job and Paris opera workers gathered on the building’s steps to sing an aria expressing their anger and frustration. Travel + Leisure: “When the protests started, tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d'Orsay and the Palace of Versailles temporarily closed, and transportation in the European nation was paralyzed. Now, the AP reported workers joined the strikes in even higher numbers than last week.”
3. FEE SPIKE AT PHOENIX AIRPORT PROMPTS LYFT TO LEAVE THE BUILDING: Lyft has departed from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and Uber may soon follow its ride-sharing competitor. The Phoenix City Council Wednesday approved a measure to increase fees for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft when they pick up or drop off passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The approved measure will increase the pick-up fee for companies like Uber and Lyft at Sky Harbor from $2.66 to $4 and add a $4 drop-off fee, which did not exist previously. The fee increase is set to begin on February 1, with 25-cent increases planned annually until the fees hit $5 in 2024. Phoenix Business Journal: “‘We are disappointed in the outcome of today’s City Council vote. Despite our best attempts to negotiate a more equitable solution, airport leadership has been opposed to reason,’ said Lauren Alexander, Lyft’s policy communications manager. ‘Given today’s vote, we plan to cease operations at Sky Harbor ahead of the fee implementation in order to prevent the unfair penalization of our drivers and riders. They should not have to shoulder the burden of the city’s budget shortcomings.’”