Metro

City investigating building-code violations at top fashion studios after rival digs up dirt

Officials are probing building-code violations at some of the city’s swankiest fashion-photography studios, all thanks to a rival trying to shut down the competition, The Post has learned.

Pier 59 studio boss Federico Pignatelli — who has accused other studios of trying to poach his staff and business — recently hired a private expert to dig up dirt on the celebrity-friendly venues.

The report by Ronny Livian, a former Buildings Department official, was handed over to the city 11 days ago, and caught the eye of inspectors.

Some violations could result in vacate orders — leaving models and fashionistas nowhere to strut their stuff, city sources said.

The hotheaded Pignatelli says he spends millions of dollars to make sure his massive complex on the Hudson River is safe for models like Gisele Bundchen and fotogs like Steven Meisel — and says his competitors should do the same.

“If they would do things right, they would have to sacrifice a lot of studio space,” Pignatelli griped. “I spent millions in getting architectural drawings, engineer drawings, inspections.”

The report’s main finding is that few of the top facilities have the correct registration as art studios.

Those include:

* Highline Stages, where Council Speaker Christine Quinn was recently married, has a certificate of occupancy dating back to 1988 for floor storage and space for assembly of television scenery, according to the report.

* Milk Studios, which is fashion fotog Terry Richardson’s main space, maintains a 1995 certificate for retail space, the report said.

* Skylight Studio, where the Whitney Museum’s annual art party is held, only has a certificate of occupancy dating back to 1975 for a longshoremen hiring hall, the report said.

Skylight studio chief Jennifer Blumin admits his certificate of occupancy is not current.

She said this is “typical of buildings which reside in dynamic, changing neighborhoods where industrial uses are no longer viable.”

Emilia Vincent, a Milk Studios rep, said, “Milk does not respond to baseless allegations.”

Highline, as well as also-targeted Splashlight and Spring Studios, didn’t return messages.