Despite what some substacks, influencers, and a new study may have to say about New York’s influence as a fashion capital, the city’s biannual celebration of all things style and design isn’t dead—far from it. Sure, certain bold-faced names no longer put on shows, and the bygone days of congregating around Bryant Park and Lincoln Center are far behind us, but in their wake have arisen new and exciting showcases of fashion that have audiences on the edge of their seats. (And now we at least have the CFDA shuttle bus to schlep us around in an environmentally friendly way—progress!)
Recently, I had the chance to interview famed designer and latest addition to the Real Housewives of New York cast, Rebecca Minkoff, during which we dished on all things reality TV, fashion, and, naturally, NYFW. “It’s still the spot where you have these beautiful new designers that are getting their foothold showing alongside some the biggest brands in the industry and people can rally around that at NYFW,” Minkoff told me. “It’s not dying. It’s evolving.”
Here at InStyle, we strive to spotlight the designers, brands, and talents that continue to push boundaries, and nowhere is that exhilarating energy more readily available than in the collections shown throughout NYFW. New York City stalwarts Proenza Schouler and Ralph Lauren kicked things off for Spring/Summer 2025 in style with shows in Soho and the Hamptons, respectively, while European staples like Off-White, Nanushka, Paloma Spain, and Pieter Müller’s Alaïa are traveling across the pond to debut their latest collections in the Big Apple this year. Meanwhile, a new vanguard of designers including Bach Mai, Colin Locascio, Jackson Weiderhoeft, and Grace Ling are sure to keep things interesting with their daring offerings for next season.
Of course, our editors and writers will be keeping you up to date on the looks that will have us rethinking our wardrobes, the accessory trends you’ll be fawning over and splurging on, and the celebrity sightings that will have us gossiping (seriously if anyone has intel on J.Lo making her pos-Affleck debut at NYFW, my inbox is open), but this season we’ll also be spotlighting the brands that are creating the next viral must-haves, the one’s that are capturing the ever-fleeting attention of Gen-Z, and the designers that are redefining and reimagining what fashion shows—and by extension—NYFW can look like.
Viva La NYFW!
