Alice + Olivia staff had to evacuate its headquarters after the building started shaking amid New York Fashion Week prep

• Alice + Olivia staff had to evacuate its New York headquarters after the building started shaking.
• Designers and models grabbed garments and fled the building, according to Page Six.

The staff of Alice + Olivia had a tumultuous day at the office as they prepared for New York Fashion Week.

Page Six reported that Alice + Olivia workers had to evacuate their headquarters in the Meatpacking area of New York City over the weekend after the building started unexpectedly shaking.

Representatives for the company did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Alice + Olivia CEO Stacey Bendet spoke to Page Six about the incident, saying the shaking resembled that of an "earthquake."

"The entire building was shaking," Bendet told the outlet. "It felt like an earthquake, but with a loud noise, like an explosion, but ongoing."

"The racks started shaking. We were tearing clothes out," she added.

Staff grabbed what they could and ran from the building

According to Page Six, models and designers fled the building when the shaking began, grabbing clothing made for the upcoming New York Fashion Week as they ran.

Alice + Olivia's Fashion Week presentation is set to take place on September 9 at 4 p.m., according to Fashion Week Online.

Despite the chaos caused by the shaking, Bendet told Page Six the tremors ended up being an avant-garde form of music.

"It ended up being 8 subwoofers from an experimental sound group," she said.

Page Six reported that it reviewed a memo sent to Alice + Olivia staff that said "very large subwoofer speakers, located directly below the 5th floor, were emitting low-frequency noise as they were being tested for a performance that will be staged next week on the [nearby] High Line."

The memo also relayed that a curator for the High Line "apologized extensively for the disruption" and promised to keep Alice + Olivia staff abreast of any future rehearsals or tests, as Page Six reported.

The performer appears to be Alexis Blake, who will be performing on September 5, 6, and 7, according to the High Line website.

The event listing includes a warning about low-frequency sounds used in Blake's performance: "Please note that during the performance, loud low-frequency sounds will be played, which may affect pregnant people as well as people with epilepsy and heart conditions."

Representatives for the High Line did not respond to Insider's request for comment.