Please Pardon Our Appearance

On the eve of New York Fashion Week, Bryant Park appears quiet and calm. The tents, rising from the ground since last Friday, are in place. The gates to the park are closed off to tourists. The security barracades enclose the area. The trailers providing power and light to the tents line the entrance on 6th Avenue. The area appears poised for the fashion elite to arrive in less than 12 hours.


Signs hung along the fence outside Bryant Park.

But appearances can be deceiving. Take a look inside the main tent - ladders, signs, decorations, TVs, displays...it's a flurry of people scurrying to get everything in place.


The front entrance of "The Tents" at Bryant Park.

As I look at the beautiful tall buildings bordering the park and enjoy the quiet stillness of the chilly and damp evening, I think of all the designers, seamstresses, show planners, PR firms, models, etc., who have practically been living at their offices and showrooms the last few weeks, and who will most likely be there all night tonight attending to last minute details.

Because, as they say, the show must go on!


Looking at Bryant Park from 6th Avenue - back of the New York Public Library, a few of the tents, and the Empire State Building on the right.


View of the Chrysler Building from the north west corner of Bryant Park.

The Tents at Bryant Park.