nyc: ecko graffiti party is go!

NEW YORK, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Fashion designer and entrepreneur Marc
Ecko, on behalf of his company *ecko unltd., today announced a favorable
decision in a lawsuit the Company filed against New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and the City of New York in the United States District Court,
Southern District of New York, on Friday, August 19.
As a result, the first-of-its-kind street festival, free and open to the
public, will be held as originally scheduled on August 24th on 22nd Street
between 10th and 11th Avenues from 12:00PM - Dusk. The event will feature ten
48-foot-long by 8-foot-high replicas of the legendary NYC transit blue-bird
subway cars, which will be transformed into contemporary urban works of art by
20 renowned graffiti writers.
Commenting on the court's decision, Mr. Ecko stated, "Today is further
affirmation that graffiti is without question the most powerful art movement
in recent history. This event was conceived as a tribute to the roots of
graffiti culture, a time in New York City's history that I chose to believe
was worth fighting to preserve. I never envisioned having to go to Court when
we started working with the City on this event 10 months ago, but was left
with no other choice when the City asked us to change our chosen art canvas
and, as such, tried to censor my first amendment rights and those of these
great artists by attempting to dictate how we express ourselves.
"Graffiti is an art form without borders, one which touches people of
every gender, age, race, income class and political affiliation on a daily
basis and today's decision is further affirmation that it is here to stay.
Graffiti does not, as some in city hall have claimed, have to be a gateway to
crime. It can also be a gateway to opportunity and success when channeled
properly, and I hope that the Mayor accepts my offer to join me on Wednesday
as we channel our creative energies together."
Gregg Donnenfeld, Assistant General Counsel for *ecko unltd., added, "We
are extremely pleased, though not surprised, by Judge Rakoff's recognition
that graffiti is indeed a legitimate form of art, and that the City has no
right to dictate how that art is expressed. Marc Ecko's block party will
therefore proceed as planned, with a live graffiti art demonstration open to
the public at no charge, with the world's top graffiti artists using mock
subway trains as their art canvases."
"Should the City attempt to appeal the Judge's decision, we will continue
to fight for our First Amendment rights, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court
if necessary. However, at this point we do not anticipate any appeals, and
instead just look forward to what will be a spectacular art event for all of
the public and New York's art community to celebrate," Donnenfeld continued.
*ecko unltd. thanks attorney Dan Perez of the Kuby & Perez law firm for
his great work on this case, proving again that he's one of the top First
Amendment lawyers in all of New York, if not the country, and also the New
York Civil Liberties Union for its continued support in this effort.

About Marc Ecko Enterprises
The youngest member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's board
of directors, Marc Ecko is founder of *ecko unltd., the world famous rhino
brand. In eleven years since its creation in 1993, the group of companies that
comprise Marc Ecko Enterprises has grown to include: *ecko unltd.(R) men's and
Eckored(R) women's apparel, as well as outerwear, footwear, watches, eyewear,
underwear, belts, bags, hats, small leather goods, formalwear and more. Marc
Ecko Enterprises also includes Marc Ecko "Cut & Sew" (a contemporary menswear
line launched Fall 2004); G-Unit(R) clothing and accessories (a joint venture
with multi-platinum musician, 50 Cent); Zoo York(R) (a line of action sports-
inspired clothing and accessories); and Avirex(R) Sportswear Collection (a
licensed mid-tier brand debuting Spring 2005). The Company also publishes
Complex(R) magazine, a men's consumer magazine with a rate base of 325,000,
and is developing Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure(TM), the
first truly authentic video game based on urban culture and graffiti art
debuting Fall 2005. *ecko unltd. products are available in over 5,000 stores
domestically and in over 45 countries internationally, as well as through 34
of its own retail stores across the country. For additional information,
please visit http://www.marceckoenterprises.com.