In 1992, DKNY unveiled its giant, six-story-high black-and-white wall at 600 Broadway. Depicting a pre-9/11 skyline inside the DKNY logo, the mural reached what many would describe as icon status—it was a landmark for tourists and locals alike that marked the entrance to Soho. In 2008, however, Abercrombie & Fitch, or, more specifically, Hollister, acquired retail space in the building, and plans to remove the image were put into action. This month, the wall, or rather, its sentiment, returns. But instead of posting it at Houston and Broadway, Karan asked a host of artists to reinterpret the facade, and their iterations have been erected in ten cities around the world. Dubbed #DKNYArtworks, the project includes a series of installations in cities such as Tokyo, Paris, Dubai, Kuwait City, Seoul, and, of course, New York—residents have no doubt seen the red, black, and white work by HOW & NOSM in Times Square, or California-born artist Amy Gartrell’s creations at Yankee Stadium, JFK Airport, the DKNY Madison Avenue Flagship, and on the Hampton Jitney. Colorful renderings of the Big Apple inside the DKNY logo have also been placed in London (graffiti artist ROID is projecting his DKNY logo on Big Ben), Shanghai (Nod Young has mounted a billboard and LED installation on Nanjing West Road), Hong Kong (multidisciplinary artist Calvin Ho put his illustration skills to work at three locations), and Milan (photographer and fine artist Maurizio Galimberti produced a billboard). A selection of the international signage debuts here.
“DKNY embodies everything that’s creative about New York City—its energy, people, and artistic spirit,” Karan told Style.com. “Our iconic billboard in Soho was a part of NYC’s streets and became a tourist attraction. DKNY Artworks is the global version.”
In addition to the city works—which will be feted in London next week at a party hosted by Cara Delevingne—the participating artists have made smaller versions of their prints. They’ll be auctioned off online at Paddle8 from June 12 to benefit Fee Arts NYC. The auction will come to a close with a bash at the Montauk Beach House on June 29.
—Katharine K. Zarrella
Photos: Courtesy of DKNY
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