Posted By: Sorbet
A love letter to the chaos, charisma, and couture that made New York Fashion week history.
Every September, the city turns into a catwalk. Taxis honk alongside stilettos, sidewalks become secondary runways, and for a week, New York demonstrates itself as not just a financial capital but also a fashion capital. And while the headlines will inevitably belong to who’s sitting in the front row, we can’t help but revisit the moments that gave New York Fashion Week its drama and edge.
From hurricanes to high art, here are the shows that remind: fashion in New York never plays it safe – and we’re so here for it.
BASQUIAT WAKLS KAWAKUBO’S STAGE (SS87)
When Jean-Michel Basquiat appeared on Rei Kawakubo’s runway in 1987, it was a cultural collision between art and fashion titans. At the height of his career and his creative partnership with Andy Warhol, Basquiat embodied the raw, untamed energy of downtown New York. Kawakubo’s choise to cast him was about truth: the city’s art scene and its fashion scene were pulsing to the same beat. Watching Basquiat stride the catwalk wasn’t simply seeing clothes – it was witnessing the garment as a canvas, the model as an artist, and the runway as a cultural stage.
MARC JACOBS’ GRUNGE REVELATION (PERRY ELLIS, SS93)
By 1993, grunge was already the soundtrack of a generation – born in Seattle clubs, worn in thrift-store finds, and sanctified by Nirvana. What Marc Jacobs did at Perry Ellis was not invent it, but audaciously usher it into the temple of American fashion. He sent models down the runway in flannel, crochet, and floral slips, garments that looked borrowed from a teenage closet rather than a glossy showroom. The industry recoiled, confused at seeing rebellion take a bow under the spotlights, and Jacobs was swiftly shown the exit. But the collection’s legacy is untouchable: it proved that fashion couldn’t exist in a vacuum. Subculture had stormed the runway, and the establishment would never again be able to pretend to not see it.
MCQUEEN & THE HURRICANE (PIER 94, 1999)
For most designers, a hurricane is a reason to reschedule. For Alexander McQueen, it was a reason to raise the curtain. His Pier 64 show in 1999 was a declaration that fashion could be unruly, dangerous, and unpredictable as the weather itself. Guests witnessed a designer daring nature, the industry, and even his audience to keep up with his vision. And then came his trademark gesture – irreverent, shocking, unforgettable – that made clear McQueen was not here to behave. The storm outside was powerful, but so was the storm he conjured inside.
RICK OWENS’ LONG-AWAITED DEBUT (NYFW, 2002)
Rick Owens arrived at NYFW like a meteor from another planet – or at least form Los Angeles. While New York was still polishing its minimalism and sleek sophistication, Owens brought edge: shredded leathers, elongated bodies, silhouettes that looked sculpted by shadows. For a moment, the city was staring into a future that looked deliciously haunted. And then, just as quickly as he arrived, Owens left for Paris, leaving New York to wonder what it had just witnessed.
GIVENCHY OPENS THE DOOR (NYFW,2015)
Fashion shows are usually exclusive sanctuaries for editors, buyers, and the perpetually chic. But in 2015, Riccardo Tisci and Givenchy swung the gates wide open. 800 seats went to the public, instantly sold out online. The moment marked a turning point in fashion – democratization fueled by Instagram and livestreams, had finally hit the runway itself.
PRABAL GURUNG’S AMERICAN QUESTION (SS20)
For his tenth anniversary at NYFW, Prabal Gurung staged a runway that was equal parts celebration and statement. After sending a vibrant collection and a diverse cast down the catwalk, he closed with a striking finale: every model in a pageant sash reading “Who Gets to Be American” It was a bold twist that turned a milestone show into one of NYFW’s most memorable finales.
TELFAR’S WOW FINALE (FW22)
Closing NYFW in 2022, Telfar Clemens made the industry wait – and they happily did. His WOW show at Pier 12 stretched into a full hour, unfolding like performance art spliced with episodes of Telfar TV. The crow was so large it spilled from seats into standing room, proof of the label’s cult pull. On the runway came oversized athletic pieces, denim experiments, and new twists on its iconic IT bag, all delivered with the brand’s signature mantra: not for you, for everyone. It felt less like a fashion show and more like a hangout – and that’s exactly what made it special.
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