FORM: A black backdrop and a complex lighting and projection system provided the stark setting for FORM’s Autumn/Winter 2009 presentation which took place at Tribeca Grand Hotel on February 13th, 2009. The pieces were in dark shades of gray and black in luxurious materials with a gothic feel - the models wore hoods and black nail varnish, together with killer red lipstick.

With music provided by DJ Prince Language, the party continued long after the 3 hour presentation ended.

Spotted: FORM’s Jerry Tam and Eric Werner, Elle’s Kate Lanphear, Nina Stotler and GrandLife’s Tommy Saleh, Mandy Brooks (in a stunning Lizzie Fortunato necklace) and Laura Brown.

FRANK TELL: A hotly anticipated presentation by New York’s ‘one to watch’, Frank Tell, took place in Sanctum at Tribeca Grand Hotel on February 14th, 2009 with DJ Eli Dias playing a collection of kitsch classics. As the first looks were presented, the crowd stood back and admired Frank’s signature cocktail dresses but soon became impatient and moved forward to look at the meticulous detail, which included a Swarovski encrusted sweater and a vest of tiny metal swords designed by jewelry designer Pamela Love.

While Frank designed the collection inspired by historical English (in particular the Tudors) and Spanish royalty, he also paid attention to the consumer’s need for wearability, with a greater number of separates, knits and outerwear on show than in his previous collections. Stand out pieces include a motorcycle jacket with a Mongolian-lamb collar, to die for leather pants and a black lace mini dress. Universally considered a blow out success by the fashion press, this sophisticated presentation really is an indication that the only way is up for our favorite young designer.

Spotted: The Frank Tell crew - Hector Meza, Nestor Jazmani Dutan, Kristina Rutkowski, Elle’s Kate Lanphear, Vogue’s Meredith Melling Burke, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Pamela Love and Olivia Palermo.

On Monday, July 21 Cheap Monday celebrated Spring 2009 Men’s Fashion Week at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. The Swedish denim brand claimed their fame with their infamous skinny jeans which have become a fashion staple since their official launch in 2004.

DJs Stunner International, including David Lindwall, Wade Crescent, and Francois Dirty South kept the energy flowing while the fashionable crowd sipped refreshing Belvedere cocktails. Blonde Acid Cult from Brooklyn performed a live set of street funk and primal grooves. British rock band Cazals debuted for the first time in the United States to a packed floor of rock-n-roll enthusiasts.

Skinny jeans were definitely in the midst of the stylish partygoers, musicians, artists, stylists, and fashion editors - including Vogue’s Valerie Boster and GQ’s Brian Coats – all of who filled the dance floor and created a Monday night like no other.

Tribeca Grand celebrated Fall 2008 Fashion Week with two rising stars in their own rights: Bernhard Willhelm and Frank Tell.

We launched the week’s festivities with German designer, Bernhard Willhelm. The evening began with a cocktail reception in his honor attended by some of New York’s most creative people—from artists and photographers to fashion’s finest. The reception was followed by a film presentation that Willhelm created in collaboration with photographer Nick Knight. His concept and presentation of the men’s collection for fall/winter 2008/2009 is based on a non-violent approach to dance and movement.

Focusing less on the actual pieces of the collection and opting for abstract representation, the film concentrated on the mood of the collection, playing with isolation of body parts, performance, and conceptual art. The collection itself includes experimental, extensible bodywear in lycra as well as interesting cut outs, croppings, and drapes. The colors are masculine with grey, army green, and blue as well as beige and skin tones.

On Saturday, we hosted a presentation with the young and talented Frank Tell. This was his second collection, and the laudatory reviews he received this season prove that he is on the rise. His pieces incorporate a Barberela-esque design, using exactly three colors—black, white, and gray. Tell plays with lush, beautiful fabrics including sheer satin, shimmery sheens, and fluffy feathers.

To close the week, we celebrated with the Broken Hearts Club of Berlin and FLY Magazine. The infamous NYC DJ’s Eric Duncan and Thomas Bullock (a.k.a Rub N Tug) spinned disco and house beats while the fashion goers danced until four in the morning.

For the past two years, Soho Grand created an alternative downtown space for avant-garde designers seeking to deviate from New York’s traditional midtown fashion shows. For the Spring 2008 shows, the Grand Tent at Soho Grand showcased nine designers—each fresh, different, and exemplars of New York’s downtown aesthetic. People’s Revolution kicked off the first day with designers Grey Ant and Mara Hoffman.  British designers Preen celebrated their NYC debut with a show on September 6th, while designers Karen Walker, Eventide, Ben Cho, Toni Maticevski, Susan Canciolo, and Unruly Heir all sprinkled the tent with their unique collections. In addition to the shows in the tent, FORM had a presentation in The Yard, complimented by a video installation directed by Richard Reens.

Tribeca Grand celebrated fashion week with a party to honor Red Alert Clothing Project and their efforts to raise money for the fight against AIDS. Hosted by SoHo fashion boutique Seven, GrandLife, Dazed & Confused Japan, the bash featured London’s famous Boombox deejays and Paris deejays Kitsune Maison.

Tribeca Grand launched into Fall 2007 Fashion Week with a FLY Screening of Fashion Shorts including Torrent by Ghukfvin featuring Hussein Chalayan; Dollsdrome by Paolo Zambaldi featuring Fendi; Tea a Tet by Ghukfvin featuring Thom Browne; Protest by Catherine Cushman featuring Louis Vuitton; Day for Night by Tiziano Magni featuring Zac Posen; Farewell to Daylight by Andreas Von Scheele featuring Karl Lagerfeld; Fairytales are Nice by Heidi Hertwig featuring Alice Roi; New York Exit by Alex Antitch featuring Richard Chai; and Parallax View by Andreas Von Scheele featuring Cloak. The screening was followed by an after party upstairs in the Sanctum with a live performance by electro band Boulevard.

Events continued throughout the week with London native Sue Stemp’s first NYC fashion show held in the Salon at the Soho Grand. The show was followed by an after party in Tribeca Grand’s Sanctum with a live performance by ArcKid.

Tribeca Grand kicked off fashion week on September 8 with an after party for United Bamboo in our swanky downtown venue, the Sanctum. Blow Up Magazine sponsored the event, and James Murphy and Pat Mahoney (LDC Soundsystem, DFA) deejayed the party.

The week carried on with Catherine Fulmer’s interactive production and fashion show hosted by Soho Grand in The Yard on September 13. That same night, Tribeca Grand hosted Big Magazine’s photography opening, followed by a dance party in the Sanctum with music by Sebastian Kim and Max Pask. Featuring 16 photographs taken backstage at fashion shows in Paris, London, New York, and Milan, the exhibit is showcased in Church Lounge as well as in the current issue of Big Magazine.

Soho Grand closed the week with a bang in our specially erected tented event space, The Dome.  Highlights included fashion week after parties for Zac Posen, Lacoste, and Miss Sixty, as well as the long-anticipated ThreeAsFour fashion show, where NYC downtown scenesters, including Sean Lennon and Vincent Gallo, sat front and center.

As well as being big supporters of new music, we also have a love for fashion and are supporters of independent and up-and-coming designers. Since 2002 we have hosted various fashion shows in the lounges of the Soho and Tribeca Grand.

Sue Stemp - February 2007
While cocktails were passed, crowds of downtown tastemakers, luminaries, and editors gathered in the lobby of Soho Grand awaiting Sue Stemp’s Fall 2007 presentation. The show featured 28 looks—all reflecting her own personal eclectic style and love of textiles. Stemp brings together relaxed, yet sexy, feminine silhouettes with sharp English tailoring and flirty, modern cool.

Catherine Fulmer - September 2006
Showcasing 14 pieces from her Spring 2007 line, Catherine Fulmer combined interactive media with her signature downtown chic vibe to create a unique fashion week experience in The Yard at Soho Grand. The night began with an exclusive cocktail party followed by a short film screening that showcased Fulmer’s artistic strategies and sources of inspiration for her new collection. The film took viewers through various NYC neighborhoods, emphasizing the versatility of her clothing as models walked through the city, and then faded to black—a transition into the fashion show itself. Faces featured in the film walked through the gates at Soho Grand, bringing the film and Fulmer’s collection to life.

ThreeAsFour – September 2006
RSVPs as well as standing room guests eagerly crowded into The Dome at Soho Grand for the ThreeAsFour fashion show, where over 40 pieces were showcased to the designer team’s die-hard fans.  Well known among New York’s creative downtown scene, ThreeAsFour has almost a cult-like following among artists and style mavens.  Comprised of designers Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil, ThreeAsFour is known for the form of their designs—the pieces are water engineered to mimic the waves of the ocean.

Boudicca - Februrary 2005
London based designers Boudicca had their first NYC appearance at the Soho Grand during Spring/Summer 2005 fashion week. The show was produced by downtown-er Brian Phillips of Visionaire and Black Frame. Boudicca’s erotic and edgy, impeccably cut, non-conformist collections have made them a name to watch in fashion circles. Boudicca’s fashion show in the Grand Bar & Lounge of the Soho Grand was definitely an experience to remember with some of New York’s top editors such as Anne Slowey and Cathy Horn sitting on the front row.

Vena Cava - September 2004
Two local downtown Manhattan girls, Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock, viewed their Fall/Winter 2005 collection in the Grand Bar & Lounge of the Soho Grand. Designers Buhae and Mayock both in their early twenties graduated from Parsons School of Design. The girls like to describe their style as simple, chic, grown-up yet with a sense of quirkiness.

Habitual - February 2004
Habitual, an L.A. based denim company run by husband and wife team, Michael and Nicole Colovos, had their first NYC fashion show ever in the Grand Bar & Lounge of the Soho Gand. They created Habitual due to their obsession with denim and its ability to become second skin where no pair of jeans is the same once they are worn.

Jeremy Scott - February 2002
We hosted Jeremy Scott’s first New York fashion show in the Church Lounge of the Tribeca Grand and continued to host his after parties for a few seasons to follow. Jeremy Scott has an undeniable theatrical style that is a hit with both fashionistas and hipsters - making his show and after party a highlight of fashion week.

Everything must go is a collective vintage and designer sale that is held once a month in the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Collections and sellers vary from month to month, so there are always new items and styles at every sale. Guest sellers have included fashion designers, jewelry designers, stylists, fashion editors, a Camden Market (London) vintage collector, and photographers. Sellers also come across the globe from Texas to London, so you can always be sure there’s something unique. Vintage items range from 70’s YSL pieces, to classic 60’s shifts and Bruno Magli pumps - everything from high fashion to street fashion. Designer items range from last season’s Jeremy Scott to Halston. The name says it all - everything is priced to go.

There are often special guest deejays, which in the past have included Pat Mahoney and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Tyler Pope of !!!, Saidah and Michael of the Allstars, Tim Sweeney of Beats In Space, James Friedman from Output, Nick and Andrew of Automato, and Marcus Lambkin of Shit Robot and Plant.

When it comes to fashion and dressing our team, we like to keep things authentic to our downtown Manhattan location, where a plethora of up and coming designers reside.

Lauren Felton
Currently at the Soho Grand, the local designer of choice is Lauren Felton who dressed the cocktail servers in the Grand Bar & Lounge. Lauren debuted her women’s collection two years ago at the Spring 2004 Gen Art Fresh Faces show, and has just completed her fifth collection. Her pieces can be reconfigured to look drastically different time after time and works on all different body types – making her a perfect choice for the hotel.

Ashley Tyler
Local designer Ashley Tyler is the current designer showcased in the Church Lounge. Ashley has worked with a number of well known designers, including an internship with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jean Colonna and Jeffrey Bean and had Donna Karan as her mentor during her senior year at Parsons School of Design. Upon graduation Ashley landed a job as assistant designer at Calvin Klein. Since April 2002, Ashley concentrates her artistic and creative vision on her own collections: a couture collection under her own name and an organic sportswear line called Sypne. Her flagship store and design headquarters opened last year in Soho at 112 Greene St.

J.Lindeberg
The stylish European style suits worn by the men of our team at the front desk are outfitted by J.Lindeberg. Although this is a Swedish company, J. Lindeberg has a showroom and flagship store just a few a blocks away in SoHo giving us that neighborhood and downtown connection. J. Lindeberg is a modern company that focuses on lifestyle and design as they incorporate exquisite fabrics with smart tailoring.

Steven Alan
Located just around the corner from the Tribeca Grand Hotel on Franklin Street, Steven Alan has an eye for talent and consistently picks out top notch, off-the-radar designers for his showroom. A curator of new and edgy designs that exudes creativity and expression, we collaborated with Steven when the hotels first opened to design a classic black wrap-around dress for the cocktail servers in the Church Lounge at Tribeca Grand and the Grand Lounge & Bar at Soho Grand.

At the Steven Alan store, you will find pieces designed by Steven himself as well as a slew of clothes from young independent designers such as Prudence, Stella Pop, Gauge, Spruce and Ritten House.