Space Ibiza—the newly opened nightclub hugging the Hudson Parkway in Hell's Kitchen—had a busy New York Fashion Week, as any high-profile establishment in Gotham should. The venue's opening event, PAPER magazine's 30th birthday party, brought a performance from stripper-aesthete Brooke Candy and guest appearances from various fashion figures and Skrillex, the most recognizable face (sans helmet) in the electronic dance music scene. Jeremy Scott hosted an afterparty celebrating his Psychedelic Jungle collection the next night, with scheduled music performances from electronic acts the MisShapes, Jodie Harsh and Mademoiselle Yulia. Still, hype-agents advised bigger names were likely to appear, based on Scott's collaborative relationships with Kanye West and Miley Cyrus.
Skrillex reappeared. He brought along Diplo, who in turn brought along Madonna, for whom he'll be producing with for her next album. Although Madge didn't offer to perform, the combination of Skrillex and Diplo meant an impromptu appearance as Jack Ü, the two-man supergroup announced earlier during 2014 by the EDM superstars. Fool's Gold label head and general turntable whiz A-Trak showed up as well, for good measure.
An expectedly enjoyable Fashion Week afterparty briefly became September's biggest EDM event (until Beyond Wonderland nearly two weeks later). That's the kind of potential that comes with running a world-class nightclub. Ask Rob Toma, the director of talent procurement for Space Ibiza New York, and he'll tell you that his job is a bit of what you know, a bit of who you know, and a heck of a lot of what you're selling.
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Space technically serves as a chain now that it operates venues on the the titular island of Ibiza, another Spanish location at Menorca, Space Moscow and now Space Ibiza New York. Less a chain in the Hard Rock Cafe sense and more along the lines of Osteria Francescana opting to open new locations across continents.
British EDM publication DJMag.com publishes a controversial Top 100 DJs list annually but its Top 100 Clubs ranking draws far fewer complaints. The original Space Ibiza has topped that list three times since 2011, including 2014, while it only fell to no. 2 during the 2013 campaign. Space's renowned status stands as the result of 25 years of competition, shoulder-to-shoulder with the best clubs in the world's capital for club music. The open-air dance floor, acclaimed live compilations and—in the words of founder Pepe Rosello, "the most beautiful people per square meter in the world" draws attendees from every corner.
Toma acknowledges the instant recognizability that comes with the Space Ibiza title, but living up to its namesake in terms of esteem still presents a constant challenge.
"This is not simply slap the name on the building and open the doors," he says. "Everything from the type of music I've been booking to the type of promotions...when people actually walk in and see what they were being sold, it's not exaggerated."
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