Highlights of New York Fashion Week Spring Summer 2025

It's not only New York City, even its vicinity, Long Island, has been abuzz with fashion action in recent times while it plays host to a spate of shows that marry old-school elegance with contemporary grit. Be it the big-ticket names of Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger who looked to revive their signature silhouettes or the Parisian houses of Alaïa and Off-White which crossed over the Atlantic to put their own spin on American style.

New York Fashion Week has started to figure its position in the pecking order. Milan and Paris retain their lead with bigger-name shows and more star-studded events; however, New York has become center stage, especially as fashion week coincided with the U.S. Open this year, bringing droves of celebrities to both the runways and the tennis courts.
Ralph Lauren got things started Thursday evening at an event in the Hamptons, bringing the Polo Bar experience out east for a guest list that included First Lady Jill Biden, singer Usher, and actors Jude Law, Tom Hiddleston, and Naomi Watts. The house of Alaïa took center stage the following evening at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, where supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta, and Stephanie Seymour were in attendance. It was then ablaze with the appearance of Rihanna in a crystal mesh ensemble.

Off-White held its first New York runway show on Sunday, a surprising—and entertaining—event from creative director Ib Kamara. At the waterfront basketball courts in Brooklyn, it lured in a slew of celebrities: Zayn Malik, Mary J. Blige, Camila Cabello, and model Alessandra Ambrosio. The Olympics were represented as well, thanks to water polo star Ashleigh Johnson and gymnast Sunisa Lee, while Flavor Flav was there in support of Johnson's team.
Besides celebrity sightings, Olympians made runway debuts that turned heads. The gymnast Jordan Chiles modeled a floral silk leotard with a cape for Kim Shui, and the sprinter Noah Lyles appeared more chill for Willy Chavarria, whose show played with American Dream tropes via a mix of casual and formal wear.
Loose khakis, utility skirts, and a new sportswear line in collaboration with Adidas-a Willy Chavarria collection-framed with images of the American flag as guests listened to a rendition of the classic Spanish song "Querida," while American Civil Liberties Union booklets distributed to all guests drove the political resonance of the show home.

Other designers showed political motivation, too: The 10-year anniversary of surrealist label Area partnered with Tinder to benefit the national abortion rights campaign Bans Off Our Bodies, sending models down the runway in pieces emblazoned with handprints and fingerprints. Nepali American designer Prabal Gurung found inspiration in a campaigning Vice President Kamala Harris and showed pieces celebrating matriarchy and femininity down to a cheeky Harris Easter egg in the form of an embroidered coconut tree mini dress.
From classic American style to bold new political commentary, this season's New York Fashion Week really captures a lot of styles-the true reflection that the city and its fashion are as alive and current as ever.