Photographer overcomes MS to bring Streets of Chelsea to life
BY DEAN MOSES
A photographer suffering
from multiple sclerosis
is set to display stunning
images of Chelsea this month.
Leslie Fratkin has been a
photographer for over 30 years
and focuses on everything from
street life to global documentary
work, capturing many breathtaking
stills in the process. With so
much worldly experience, one
may presume her latest project
would consist of captures from
some far-away country, instead,
she has chosen to exhibit the
mystique of her own backyard.
Although a diagnosis of multiple
sclerosis has unfortunately
hampered her commercial career,
Fratkin’s passion for the
artform remains as strong as
when she began three decades
prior. The exhibit will showcase
37 black-and-white photographs
beginning on Sept. 9both inside
the main concourse under the
archway and on the outdoor dining
structure of Chelsea Market
on 15th Street. Dubbed “The
Streets of Chelsea,” this display
is not only a documentation of
An image from the “The Streets of Chelsea.
the rapidly developing neighborhood
taken during the
COVID-19 pandemic, but also
a series of portraits of Fratkin’s
Chelsea neighbors.
Fratkin herself says she yearns
to discover places and the people
who inhabit them, capturing them
in candid, unposed scenes and
welcomes the ability to control
all the variables and seeing what
an element of chance brings to
the fi nal image, which includes
the diffi culty of living with the
immune system disease.
“A diagnosis of multiple
LESLIE FRANKLIN
sclerosis forced an abrupt reassessment
of how I could continue
my photography as I am no longer
able to physically work in the
way that I used to,” says Fratkin,
adding, “I faced this challenge
by altering my means—I walked
around my neighborhood, striking
up conversations with people,
teasing out ideas and listening to
how they spoke about themselves
and their circumstances. This
series of photographs was taken
during the pandemic, photographing
my neighborhood without
people. I felt like an archeologist
piecing together an idea of a city
using only fragments, and the
residue, of the life that was.”
In addition to Fratkin’s long
tenure as a photographer, she is
also one of 500 New York Citybased
artists to receive a grant
through the City Artist Corps
Grants program, presented by
The New York Foundation for the
Arts (NYFA) and the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs
(DCLA), with support from
the Mayor’s Offi ce of Media and
Entertainment (MOME) as well
as Queens Theatre.
Although snapping pictures is
no easy feat when working with
multiple sclerosis, Fratkin has
shown her resilience by continuing
to photograph what could
most likely be her most challenging
subject: her home.
The exhibit will run until Oct.
31.
New York Fashion Week announced event line-up on Fifth Avenue
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
New York Fashion Week
(NYFW) has announced
its line-up of events that
are taking place on Fifth Avenue
this month.
Presented by Fifth Avenue Association
(FAA), this is the debut
season of NYFW on Fifth. The
events will be held at 608 Fifth
Avenue, between East 48th and
49th Street, across from Saks
Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller
Center.
“Fifth Avenue is home to the
most iconic heritage brands
in fashion and we are excited
to watch the future of fashion
walk the runway at 608 Fifth
in September,” saidJerome
Barth, President, Fifth Avenue
Association.“Today’s announcement
is only the beginning, our
long term goal is to reclaim Fifth
Avenue as a centralized location
for fashion week.”
The preliminary schedule
will kick off on Sept. 9 at 12
p.m. with the Supima Design
Competition. Hosted by famed
stylist Law Roach, six fi nalists
from the nations’ top fashion
schools will showcase their collections
for an esteemed panel of
judges and one winner will be
awarded a $10,000 prize. At 4
p.m. that same day, New Yorkers
can check out the Rookie USA
show, a kids-only fashion showcase
that will highlight brands
including Levi’s, Nike, Jordan,
Converse, Hurley and 3BRAND.
On Sept. 11, the day will start
at 11 a.m. with the fi rst Global
FILE PHOTO
Fashion Collective, which will
host runway shows from C’Est D,
Irene de la Vega, and Sanjukta’s
Studio. The second Global Fashion
Collective will take place at 2
p.m. with runways from Unusual,
Saint Jesus, and Blue Tamburin.
Also on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.
Albright College will highlight
collections from students in its
fashion program.
NYFW on Fifth will wrap up
on Sept. 12 with a special show
from KavenLiu, Dimor Koreano
and KLOVA for Nolcha at 8 p.m.
Food and beverages will be available
from the renowned Parisian
tea salon Angelina and the shows
will be livestreamed in partnership
with ShopShops.
All in-person events will
take place in accordance with
CDC and New York City guidelines,
and proof of full-course
COVID-19 vaccinations for
event-goers will be mandated.
NYFW on Fifth will encourage
mask-wearing indoors at all times,
except in designated eating and
drinking areas or when models
are walking the runway. There
is a reduced guest capacity in all
show venues.
For full show details and sneak
previews of events, visit www.
NYFWonFifth.com and follow
@fi fthavenue#NYFWonFifth.
4 September 2, 2021 Schneps Media
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