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Although there are many changes going on at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week it is still the most celebrated week in fashion. The Tents have been replaced by the Theater, the Studio and the Box and many fashion houses will send electronic invitations with bar-coded confirmations. Which appears to be the most talked about change and one that might actually work.

‘For the fashion industry, it’s like going from the Stone Age to 2090,’ said Peter Levy, senior vice president of IMG. We hear that some public relations firms were still using fax machines to receive requests, go figure?! In a world were people barely answer their phone and communicate soley through text, facebook, or twitter finally fashion is catching up. The new system is designed to make it faster for admitting guests. No more standing in a crowd of people, that some called a line, to get checked in – thank goodness. But with most changes its bound to introduce a new form of confusion and mayhem to delay your entrance into that 10 minute show.

Of course not everything can change. Your major press members and retail buyers will receive their seating assignments in advance (and most likely in a normal invite mailed). They will present their printout or invitation with their seating assignment at the door. For others arriving at the Lincoln Center there will be a series of kiosks to swipe their bar codes. The kiosks will create a printout for each guest to show the person standing at the entrance of the runway show. Many designers seem to approve of the new system. ‘It will make a world of difference,’ says Max Azria, chief executive and designer of BCBG Max Azria Group. The fashion house is producing 3 shows with over 800 guests and says they will not be sending paper invites anymore.

Although you have never had to ‘prove’ your identity during the events if you were smart enough you could pass as anybody, expect for Anna Wintour. The bar code should help control that issue, says Lynn Tesoro, founding partner of public-relations firm HL Group, ‘you’d look through a list of 700 names for their name, and at some point you’d say ‘Just go in.’ ‘

We’re going to take the positive road and wait until we actually arrive at the Lincoln Center before we comment. Regardless of the changes good or bad we don’t think that the event will ever loose its hype – everyone wants to go to Fashion Week.

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