Upper East Side hotels and stores count on Met Gala to boost business

The halo effect of the Met Gala of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the annual opening of the The Costume Institute's spring exhibition is unmistakable.

But even with the celebrity-studded extravaganza on the red carpet still days away, some Upper East Side companies are already betting on earnings. Also, the fact that the focus of this year's show - Karl Lagerfeld - has such an extensive portfolio and multi-brand affiliations should bode well for shopping on Madison Avenue, according to Matthew Bauer of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District. .

Once "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" opens to the public on May 5, it will should continue to help drive sales at designer stores in the area. Chanel, Fendi and Chloé, three of the designer houses that Lagerfeld helped build over his decades-long career, have stores near the Met on Madison Avenue.

"The Costume Institute has a long history of creating excitement and synergies between Madison Avenue and visitors to the museum. We certainly expect people who visit the exhibition to come here on the avenue to continue the fashion experience. Moreover, Karl Lagerfeld was such an icon that the exhibition will not only attract deeply committed people in fashion, but also those who may want to learn more or experience it for the first time. Then they may also want to experience the physical retail that Karl Lagerfeld has been so supportive of all throughout his life,” Bauer said.

As an added incentive, Fendi displayed some of Lagerfeld's sketches in its store windows of Madison Ave. Bonding with the museum show in such a public way is not something the BID president has seen in previous years. "His engagement with brands that are already present on Madison Avenue will certainly create additional motivation for visitors to the exhibition to come to our street. It's more than just walking around for a cup of coffee, because so many people realize he was involved with brands that are here. They'll want to see that first hand."

To shorten the climb up the steps to the famous Fifth Avenue entrance to the Met, dozens of them New York-based city dwellers, VIPs and fashion types check into nearby luxury hotels like The Carlyle, The Mark and The Lowell. Hotel Mark General Manager Etienne Haro said on Friday afternoon that “despite a very successful gala last year, the desire to be part of this event is stronger than ever. We expect this year's mat to be the best yet."

As in years past, the event brings "an incredible amount of excitement, glamor and vibrancy to the neighborhood,” according to Haro. Operating at 100% 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 generates increased interest in this special part of New York.”

While extra beauty sleep is essential for some, others can do intermittent fasting and calories before the gala counts. A representative...