Marie Claire puts accessories first on Madison Avenue

The Madison Avenue Business Improvement District is teaming up with Hearst’s Marie Claire magazine for a celebration of the connection between fashion and art.

Up from Oct. 4, Obsessorize will span 40 of the street’s boutiques, with in-store displays and events as well as installations on the sidewalks. The collaborative event will draw attention to the participating retailers, turning shopping into an artistic experience.

Accessories meet art
On Oct. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m., Madison Avenue BID and Marie Claire will host a kick-off event complete with shopping, Champagne and art. During the launch party, the partners will gather outside of Stuart Weitzman’s store to reveal an art exhibit with work from 28 3D design students from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York.

Titled "Obsessorize: Common Objects Uncommon Assessories,” the exhibit features sculptures lining the street from 58th Street to East 95th Street. Housed in 8-foot-tall plexi-glass cases, the sculptures offer an inventive look at accessories.

One depicts a pair of pumps that is merged with a set of hair dryers, while another alters two guitars into a shape mimicking flatform shoes. Curated by Kevin O’Callaghan, SVA’s 3-D design chairman, the exhibit will be up through the end of the month.

Student-created sculpture for Obsessorize. Image credit: SVA

During the weeklong Obsessorize event, brands including Christofle, David Yurman and Roger Vivier will host displays, receptions and style advice.

This is the latest in a series of partnerships between Madison Avenue and SVA.

Last year, the avenue hosted a series of “One-of-a-kind Luxury on Madison Avenue” curated tours. Open to the public, the one-of-a-kind curated tour is accompanied by Madison Avenue exclusives from the fashion, jewelry, accessories and home categories.

In addition to the tours and shopping event, the Madison Avenue BID teamed with the SVA to create one-of-a-kind fashion sculptures.

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio recently declared October as Madison Avenue Month, prompting the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District to launch programming celebrating the high street (see story).