Watch: Is Lincoln Center Fashion's High School? a tFS Roundtable Discussion [theFashionDish]

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This NYFW season, several prominent designers fled Lincoln Center for unique, alternative show spaces all across the city, citing the over-crowded, over-commercialized atmosphere at the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week venue. Organizers responded swiftly to complaints: ahead of the Fall 2014 shows, IMG claimed it was tightening guest lists (i.e. kicking out bloggers) with the hope of making Fashion Week more exclusive. (News reports also confirmed that in the coming years, MBFW would leave Lincoln Center altogether, for the Culture Shed at the Hudson Yards.)

In theFashionDish clip above, our panelists discuss the identity crisis: Does New York Fashion Week need a centralized venue? YES, says stylist Robert Verdi, making the case that today, Lincoln Center is fashion’s high school, a necessary institution for advancing America’s design talent.

“We have to have a place,” he says, “where we can give our design talent an opportunity to be seen on the world stage. And for investors to find them, and for the media to learn about them. So I think the tents will never go away. You have to think of them like high school: and maybe we give these designers an opportunity to graduate. But they have to come through the tents. But it’s inordinately important, because otherwise they don’t have a place to share what they’re doing with as many people as they can.”

The debut installment of theFashionDish brings six fashion industry experts for dinner and a roundtable discussion recapping New York Fashion Week. In the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you lots of short clips and a full 30-minute episode drawn from the rowdy, hilarious and informative conversation that ensued.

About our panelists:

June Ambrose, a leading celebrity stylist whose clients include Jay Z, Missy Elliot and Zoe Saldana.
Laurie Brookins, a veteran fashion journalist who has interviewed designers like Tom Ford, Frida Giannini and Alber Elbaz. Brookins was also theFashionSpot’s social ambassador this Fashion Week.
Katie Cassidy, the star of The CW’s Arrow and co-founder of the fashion blog TomboyKC.
Jaclyn Jones, Senior Womenswear Editor at WGSN, a leading trend forecasting firm.
Chiun-Kai “Chunky” Shih, fashion photographer, Condé Nast creative director and the creator of Hipstamatic‘s ‘Chunky’ lens.
Robert Verdi, a celebrity stylist (best known for his work with Eva Longoria), television personality and lifestyle expert.