Bigger, brighter and better is the promise of the new Lincoln Center home to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and StyleList has snagged the first tour of the premises in the above video.

The evening before the official opening by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, IMG Worldwide senior vice president and managing director Peter Levy led us through Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, which the company has promised will move New York's fashion shows firmly into the 21st century.

And for those pining for the familiarity of the Bryant Park Tents, where the fashion flock first set up shop in 1993 with 35 shows and closed with over 70 shows during the Fall 2010 season, Lincoln Center's larger floorplan, bigger venues and additional show spaces signal an obvious improvement over the midtown square.



The most spacious new venue is called The Theatre, which will host shows by Diane Von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera and Tommy Hilfiger, among other top tier-designers. It can seat almost one thousand people and accommodate another 400 standing.

Lincoln Center will also feature an intimate space called The Box, a smaller room for designer presentations, industry forums and press conferences, which can hold 450 standing. In between are two mid-size spaces called The Stage, which will fit more than 800 fashion-lovers, and The Studio, which has seats for 390 plus standing.



Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, which will be held from September 9 to 16, will also debut a large lobby with lounge style seating. Levy told us that he expects more than 100,000 visitors to attend shows held by the 87 participating designers during the eight days of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

If more space isn't enough to mend the gripes of those peeved about trekking the extra twenty blocks north and four blocks west from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week's former Bryant Park locale, maybe better perks will help ease complaints.



Visitors will notice an improvement in the amenities, notably two interior courtyards in which to relax during the day, perhaps with a Frappuccino from Fashion Week sponsor Starbucks or a bottle of Fiji water. Of course, you can also recharge your iPhone or Blackberry and update your fashion blog courtesy of the media lounge supplied by AOL, StyleList's parent company. Maybelline New York will be giving away beauty essentials, and you can even book a hair appointment at the in-lobby salon of Tresemme.

The new Lincoln Center tents still promise to be fashion's home-away-from-home, only this season it will be a lot more comfortable.

Check out the full Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week schedule, then find out how to score coveted fashion week tickets.