The Empire State Building Partners With New York Designer LaQuan Smith To Host Its First-Ever Fashion Show This Thursday, Sept. 9

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Empire State Building announced a partnership with famed New York City designer LaQuan Smith to create the city's most iconic catwalk for New York Fashion Week. This Thursday, Sept. 9, the Queens-born native New Yorker will get the keys to the World's Most Famous Building – named "the most dramatic NYFW venue" by VOGUE – to showcase his Spring/Summer 2022 collection to an elite group of fashion's most desired guests, as models strut in the first-ever fashion show held in the center of New York City's skyline.

"Showing at the Empire State Building this season is a huge moment in fashion, not only for the brand but it holds a very special place in my heart," said Smith. "I am born and raised in New York and to be able to show my Spring/Summer 2022 collection at the icon of New York City really feels like a full circle moment for me. The Empire State Building celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, and I will be the first designer in history to host a show there. The timing just felt so right to celebrate not only its 90th anniversary but also a revival of fashion and live runway shows in New York City."

A notable name in luxury fashion, LaQuan Smith's womenswear designs are lauded by icons like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and the Kardashians, who regularly attend his shows. A show like this has never taken place in the history of the Empire State Building, which throughout 2021 celebrates its 90^th anniversary with a series of firsts.

"The Empire State Building is the international icon of New York City, and she is honored to bring Fashion Week to new heights with LaQuan Smith's spectacular show," said Stacey-Ann Hosang, VP, branding and media relations at Empire State Realty Trust. "This is the first time we have ever closed our world-famous Observatory for such an event, and we are excited that we do so to celebrate the achievements of another native New Yorker."

The invitation-only event will begin at 9 p.m. More information on LaQuan Smith can be found online; more information about the Empire State Building and its Observatory Experience can be found at esbnyc.com.

Hi-res imagery with accompanying photo credit information can be downloaded here.

About the Empire State Building  
The Empire State Building, "The World's Most Famous Building" owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102^nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86^th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop-culture. 2021 is the 90th anniversary year of the Building which officially opened on May 1, 1931. Declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, as well as the world's most popular travel destination by Uber and the #1 New York City attraction by Lonely Planet, it welcomes more than 4 million annual visitors from around the world. 

Empire State Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors primarily house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn, Shutterstock, and Global Brands Group, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok. 

About Empire State Realty Trust 
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the "World's Most Famous Building." The company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of June 30, 2021, which consists of 9.4 million rentable square feet across 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and two in Westchester County, New York; as well as approximately 700,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.

Empire State Realty Trust is a leader in energy efficiency in the built environment and sustainability space, with 76 percent of the eligible portfolio ENERGY STAR certified and 100 percent fully powered by renewable wind electricity. As the first commercial real estate portfolio in the Americas to achieve the evidence-based, third-party verified WELL Health-Safety Rating for health and safety, ESRT additionally earned the highest possible GRESB 5 Star Rating and Green Star recognition for sustainability performance in real estate and was named a Fitwel Champion for healthy, high-performance buildings. To learn more about Empire State Realty Trust, visit esrtreit.com and follow ESRT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Category: Observatory

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SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.