By Ridhwan Sesapar
The original article appeared in L’officiel Singapore.
From L to R: Margot Robbie, Rihanna, Lupita Nyong’o, Elizabeth Olsen, Bella Heathcote
For a handsome fee, you can now whisk past fiercely guarded no-nonsense bouncers and clipboard-wielding PRs to sit next to the likes of celebrities and other fashion royalties at some of the industry’s most coveted fashion shows.
Front row tickets to the Fendi, Prada and Giorgio Armani shows at Milan in February next year are to be auctioned off on the 26th of July, with bids starting at $25,000 (SGD $30,941). Alternatively, if you want to skip the hassle of bidding and guarantee your seat, the whole ticket package (which includes two tickets to each show as well as backstage access at Fendi) can be purchased prior to the auction directly from Artsy for a “buy now” sum of just $95,000 (SGD $117,574). Tickets for the Miu Miu show in Paris next March are also up for grabs, with bids beginning at $10,000 (SGD $12,376).
Fendi Fall 2014 show
Prada Fall 2014 show
Miu Miu Fall 2014 show
These exorbitant prices may come as a shock to those of us who can recall that Rihanna has reportedly been paid £60,000 (SGD $126,489) just to sit through each fashion show, but the auction is for a generous cause: proceeds will go to the continued support of the Watermill Center, an art facility which brings together the worlds of art, theater, fashion, design, and society in support of the Center’s Artist Residency Programs.