Labor is Art — Fashion Show & Met Gala Counter-Protest

New York · In partnership with Orchestra & Small Girls PR

On an extremely tight turnaround, NVS Visuals partnered with Orchestra and Small Girls PR to design, fabricate, and install the entire environment for “Labor is Art” — a street fashion show staged as a counter-protest to the Met Gala. We built the full branded world on a New York street, from the runway structures to the barricades, and had it show-ready against a brutal production clock.

The activation was anchored by custom-fabricated flats and bodega structures, a beMatrix-framed newsstand, and stacked structural box totems spelling out the campaign. A standout piece was an 80-foot rolled-out “receipt” running down the street, paired with a 40-foot backdrop, fabric barricade covers, and rented furniture that turned the block into a complete editorial set. Graphics wrapped nearly every surface — all designed, printed, and installed by our team.

From concept to install to strike, NVS handled the entire physical build in-house and hit an aggressive deadline without compromising the finish — delivering a fully branded street takeover that doubled as runway, set, and statement.

Labor is Art — Provided Services

Fabrication & Build

• Custom flats and bodega structures
• beMatrix-framed newsstand structure
• Stacked structural box totems
• 80′ rolled-out “receipt” feature and a 40′ backdrop
• Fabric barricade covers and furniture rental / staging

Graphics & Printing

• Full environmental graphics across structures, barricades, and surfaces
• In-house print production and installation

Event Production & Logistics

• Extremely fast-turnaround design, fabrication, and on-site install
• On-site install and strike on a live NYC street
• Produced in partnership with Orchestra and Small Girls PR