Few times of the year feature as much gonzo production work as Fashion Week in New York City, when designers from all over the world come together to unveil the new clothing designs for the coming year.
The event takes over venues across the city from Lincoln Center to the 26th Street Armory. To master the gruelling schedule and bring all of the designers' runway visions to life, Sapsis Rigging, Inc. (SRI) is the technical management company of choice for designers including Mark Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, and Kenneth Cole.
Production manager Michael Sapsis assembled a crew of more than 35 riggers who worked steadily for two weeks, installing 225 chain hoists, 3,000 feet of assorted truss, and one 4,000-pound sodium-vapour lighting effect, contained in a circular truss rig and lifted by a mother grid. The final assembly of this effect took place twelve feet above the floor in two parts, using 20.5-inch truss and 1-ton CM hoists with load sensors.
The work took the three crews to venues including the 69thRegiment Armory on 26th Street, where Mark Jacobs revealed his latest creations; the Cunard Building at 25 Broadway in the financial district, where Alexander Wang presented his fashions; the Park Avenue Armory for the Tommy Hilfiger show; Kenneth Cole's show at Chelsea Muse, 537 W. 27thStreet; and The Tents at Lincoln Centre.
This year's productions became particularly complicated when Winter Storm Nemo blew through the New York metropolitan area, making transportation nearly impossible just as crews needed to move and install equipment.
"Fashion Week this season looked like the shows we did back in the 90's, with a lot of overnight changeovers and some pretty wild schedules," said Michael Sapsis. "To deal with that, we had three different teams working the various shows. Crew Chiefs Daryl John, Chris Harris, Daniel Porter and Paul Sapsis did an exceptional job holding it all together."
This is the 20th year in which SRI has provided rigging solutions and manpower for Fashion Week, beginning in 1993 in the Celeste Bartos Forum on the ground floor of the New York Public Library. Sapsis Rigging worked with event organizers to put the week's festivities into the repertory format used today, moving the designers out of their studios to create a more centralized event in a handful of locations.
