A Breakdown Of The Crazy Amount It Costs To Put On A Show At New York Fashion Week
These days, it's hard to put on a fashion show for less than six figures, says The Vivant, which broke down the cost of a single runway show.
The Cost Breakdown of a Fashion Show:
Venue: $0 to $100,000
Hair and Makeup: $0 to $100,000
Stylist: $5,000 to $20,000
Public Relations: $10,000 to $25,000 for a monthly retainer
Models: $0 to $200,000
Lighting: $10,000 on up
Invitations: $5,000 on up
Here's how they got their numbers.
Venue:
"The four venues at Lincoln Center (the official home of New York Fashion Week) range between $15,000 for the smallest space up to $50,000 for the largest venue, the Tent," reports the site.
While it may sound costly, it's actually one of the more reasonably priced venues considering everything from the lighting to the seating is already set up and and included in the price.
Designer Anna Sui recently said: "Every season I think about moving, but frankly, economically, the tents make sense."
More expensive venues include the New York Public Library, where the Marchesa line showed this season. The historic location's rental fees start at $50,000.
In 2011, Marc Jacobs used the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue to house his million-dollar runway show.
Hair and Makeup:
"Teams of makeup artists can charge from $5,000 to $100,000 per show, though many brands like Maybelline actually sponsor fashion shows, and provide their services for free," says The Vivant.
Models:
"Interestingly, unless designers are using models with a high star wattage, models are often not paid and volunteer for exposure (or free clothes)," explains the site.
Celebrities In Front Row:
Cameron Silver, owner of LA's high-end vintage boutique Decades, explained to The Hollywood Reporter: "[Brands] fly [celebs] out and put them up ... unless they're contractually obliged to attend. Others pay them an appearance fee."
While The Vivant says celebrities sitting in the front row are paid up to $100,000, THR published a breakdown last year of which specific celebrities get paid to sit front and center:
- Beyoncé: Fashionista.com published a fee list in 2010 indicating that Beyoncé received up to $100,000 to appear in a front-row seat.
- Rihanna: One unnamed British publication reports she was paid about $97,500 to attend Karl Lagerfeld's fall 2012 show in Paris.
- Jessica Chastain: It's rumored she was paid $800,000 to do photo ops at last year's Armani Privé show - but a stylist insider says, "Of course, a lot of shows do pay, some more than others - $800,000 is totally exaggerated." (The fee likely was closer to $80,000.) Other Armani loyalists include Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett.
- Chloe Sevigny's $65,000, per a U.K. pub, is in keeping with industry averages.
- Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian are in the $50,000 range.
- "High-end deals usually are exclusive; if a star goes to just one show (like Jennifer Lawrence, seated next to Harvey Weinstein, at Dior last July), bank on them having been paid in kind or as part of an ad contract requiring their attendance."
Other expenses include show producers, model casters, lighting, backstage catering, public relations, and stylists - but with more than 350 shows in nine days, the cost of a show can really vary.