(Left to right) Lincoln Center Chair Katherine Farley, IMG Chairman and CEO Ted Forstmann, Mayor Bloomberg and designer Diane von Furstenberg stand next to the the 1 subway train line, recently renamed "The Fashion Line." Photo: Getty Images
Though the politician is clearly a suit-and-tie kind of guy, he fielded fashion questions like a seasoned pro. Who was he wearing? Tie by Hermès, shirt by Paul Stuart, suit by Brooklyn tailor Martin Greenfield, and underwear by Bloomies. "But you could ask me any other day and get the same answer, incidentally. I'm a fashion designer's nightmare," Bloomberg said.
You'd never guess it by the way he bantered with Diane von Furstenberg, who along with IMG head Ted Forstmann and Lincoln Center chair Katherine Farley joined the Mayor in the official Fashion Week kick-off event. "If you ever want to have a great dinner, and get someone else to pick up the tab, dine with Diane and her husband," Bloomberg joked.
Then the two spoke about more serious matters. Bloomberg cited overly strict immigration laws as the largest impediment to the fashion industry in New York. "It keeps designers from coming here and from creating jobs," he said.
"I agree. I am an immigrant," the Brussels-born von Furstenberg added.
But the designer and Fashion Week are now happily installed in their new home at Lincoln Center. So the von Furstenberg, the mayor, and their entourage headed to the "new tents" to get settled in.
Let the shows begin! And get a tour of the new space here!