Upper East Side Hotels and Stores Counting on Met Gala to Spike Business
The halo effect of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Gala and the annual opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition is undeniable.
But even with the red-carpet celebrity-studded extravaganza still a few days away, some Upper East Side businesses are already banking on gains. In addition, the fact that the focus of this year’s show — Karl Lagerfeld — had such an extended portfolio and multibrand affiliations is expected to bode well for Madison Avenue shopping, according to the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District’s Matthew Bauer.
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Once “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” opens to the public on May 5, it should continue to help generate sales in area designer stores. Chanel, Fendi and Chloé — three of the designer houses that Lagerfeld helped grow during his decades-long career — have stores near to the Met on Madison Avenue.
“The Costume Institute has long created excitement and synergies between Madison Avenue and visitors to the museum. We certainly expect folks who visit the exhibit to come here to the avenue to continue the fashion experience. In addition, Karl Lagerfeld was such an icon that the exhibit will attract not only people who are deeply engaged in fashion, but ones that may want to learn more or experience this for the first time. Then they may also want to experience the brick-and-mortar retail that Karl Lagerfeld did so much to support throughout life,” Bauer said.
As an added incentive, Fendi has displayed some of Lagerfeld’s sketches in its Madison Avenue store windows. Tying into the museum’s show in such a public way is not something that the BID president has seen in previous years. “His engagement with brands that are already here on Madison Avenue will certainly create additional motivation for visitors to the exhibit to come to our street. It’s more than just wandering over for a cup of coffee, because so many people realize that he was involved with brands that are here. They will want to see that firsthand.”
To shorten the trek up the steps at the Met’s famed Fifth Avenue entrance, scores of out-of-towners, VIPs and New York-based fashion types check in to nearby luxury hotels like The Carlyle, The Mark and The Lowell. The Mark Hotel’s general manager Etienne Haro noted Friday afternoon that, “Despite a hugely successful gala last year, the desire to be part of this event is stronger than ever. We expect this year’s carpet to be the best yet.”
As in years past, the event brings “an incredible amount of excitement, glamour and vibrancy to the neighborhood,” according to Haro. Operating at 100 percent capacity, the hotel welcomes “celebrities and brands from around the world to showcase their talents ahead of fashion’s biggest night.”
Haro said, “The Mark and its restaurants participate by hosting events and activations which further amplifies the buzz in the neighborhood and drives increased interest to this special part of New York.”
The Lowell has also seen a bump in reservations. The hotel’s director of sales and marketing Ernesto Floro said, “We are indeed seeing a year-over-year increase in business due to the Met. We’re happy to continue to see a return to these iconic events that define the New York City event calendar.”
While extra beauty sleep is key for some, others may be doing some pre-gala intermittent fasting and calorie counting. A representative at La Goulue said reservations are comparable to last year at this time. At Serafina Osteria, bookings are up by a percentage point or two, based on MarginEdge software, a reservationist said. But Kappo Masa has seen a resurgence in its lunch crowd this week.
“For sure, we have seen a spike in covers,” an employee said. “It does seem like our Upper East Side guests are coming back. It could be for that event.”
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