From First Sketch to Final Form: Lexus Takes Over Times Square

What does it look like when a sketch becomes a vehicle? When a single line becomes a silhouette, and an idea becomes a work of craft? This May, Lexus brought those questions to life in the heart of New York City with one of the brand’s most creative activations to date.

From May 14 through 19, Lexus transformed Times Square into a living creative studio as part of NYCxDESIGN, the city’s celebrated annual design festival. Titled “Sketch to Street: See the process. Feel the craft.”, the multi-day experience explored how ideas move from initial concept to finished form across visual art, fashion, and automotive design.

“Creativity and design are at the heart of everything we do at Lexus,” said Sam Wintermyer, Lexus Marketing General Manager. “NYCxDESIGN provides an exciting opportunity to celebrate the creative process in an immersive and unexpected way, bringing together art, fashion and automotive design to show how bold ideas take shape through craftsmanship, innovation and intention.”

At the center of the activation was a custom Lexus IS serving as a live canvas for visual artist Alex Alpert, whose signature expressive linework evolved in real time across the vehicle and select fashion pieces by designer Denise Fócil of AS BY DF. The result was a dynamic, ever-changing expression of art in motion that drew crowds throughout the week.

Alongside the custom IS, Lexus showcased two of its most exciting new electric vehicles: the all-new Lexus TZ, the brand’s first three-row all-electric SUV, and the newly electrified Lexus ES, offering guests a firsthand look at where Lexus design is heading.

Throughout the week, three creative voices gave guests a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on their craft. Alpert walked visitors through how simple marks build into expressive compositions in a session called “The First Line.” William Chergosky of CALTY Design Research, Lexus’s in-house design team, guided guests through the early stages of vehicle design in “The First Curve” and a Sketch and Sip session called “Driven Lines.” Fócil rounded out the programming with “The First Stitch,” spotlighting how concept, material, and construction come together in fashion design. A final session, “The Living Line,” brought Alpert and Fócil together as he customized AS BY DF garments live, extending his linework from the vehicle directly into wearable art.

The activation went beyond design with a guided Stryde Social run through Times Square on May 17, followed by a HYROX workout led by fitness coach Jake Rath and a post-workout social hour focused on recovery and connection. Throughout the entire week, live DJ sets powered by the Mark Levinson sound system, exclusive to Lexus, provided a premium audio backdrop to the full experience.

The craftsmanship and intentionality on display at NYCxDESIGN are not reserved for activations and concept vehicles. They are present in every Lexus that leaves our showroom. From the first sketch to the finished vehicle, the same precision and creativity that inspired Times Square is what drives everything Lexus builds.

Stop by Lexus of Northborough to explore the latest from Lexus and experience the design and craftsmanship firsthand. We would love to see you.