Galvin couldn’t be more excited. “Everyone looks a million times better when there’s proper lighting, a proper runway, and proper seating,’’ she said.
While Boston Fashion Week director and founder Jay Calderin heartily endorsed the tent and has given his organization’s seal of approval to the venture, the tent - officially dubbed the Tent at Boston Fashion Week - is actually the result of a partnership between the Mandarin, Boston Properties (which owns the land where the tent is situated), Boston magazine, and Party by Design. This is the group that raised the funds to pay for the tent, which went up last week.
Initial estimates put the cost of the tent at $65,000. The final cost of the project has roughly doubled since that estimate was made last spring, according to a source involved with the event. But Edwina Kluender, director of public relations for the Mandarin, said that corporate sponsors, as well as individual donors, have been generous in their contributions.
Tent organizers are encouraged that big-name sponsors such as Land Rover, Stella Artois, and Vitamin Water Zero have stepped up for the tent’s first year.
“These companies are trailblazers,’’ said Ricardo Rodriguez, a real estate agent and creative director for Boston designer Daniela Corte. “They haven’t seen what it will be and they’re already stepping forward. I think once everyone can see what we’re capable of this year, others will be stepping in next year.’’
Though construction of the elaborate tent is nearly complete and organizers say all is running smoothly, Lisa Baker, the operations manager for the tent, concedes there are naysayers on the local fashion scene who anticipate that the newly centralized Fashion Week will be a bust.
