As New York Fashion Week approaches, we wondered how brands are rethinking what participation looks like in today’s landscape. For some, the runway remains central; for others, the focus is on intimate activations, after-hours events, or even opting out entirely in favor of longer-term strategies. We asked agency leaders and brand representatives how they’re navigating NYFW this season—and what their choices reveal about the state of fashion marketing right now.
Photo credit: Tension Archive courtesy of Queue Agency
Vanessa von Bismarck, Founder & Partner, BPCM
"As we execute activations of all scales this season, our involvement with Fashion Week takes on all shapes and sizes, depending on what's strategic for each client. This September, alongside the more traditional runway format that remains the most effective approach for some of our brands, we'll be partnering once again with Pandora to kick off Fashion Week with a high-profile event and live performance. Other brands like Djerf Avenue are leaning into more immersive experiences, returning to NYC for their annual community event followed by a showroom with bookable appointments. These intimate formats are designed to give fans and media alike a closer look at the collection, creating deeper connections and standout moments that cut through the noise of this busy time frame."
Rosa Qi Zhang, Founder, Queue Agency
“As strategic head and campaign producer for a client’s launch event, we began by asking the brand’s target clients—mid-career, established women—how they wanted to experience Fashion Week. Through qualitative interviews, we heard a consistent answer: they wanted to participate in NYFW, but not through the chaos of daytime shows. They value intimate environments that feel considered, social, and memorable. That research confirmed the timing: NYFW is the right cultural moment to meet them, but only if we create a format that honors their pace and preferences.
“New York Fashion Week is a double-edged moment: it brings unmatched cultural density—international press, industry leaders, and clients converging in one city—but it also creates oversaturation, where dozens of shows compete for attention. Rather than forcing an accessory debut into the official calendar and being lost in that noise, we recommended an after-hours strategy. Positioned outside the peak rush of the day, the brand can absorb the visibility of NYFW without being consumed by it. Evening activations let guests arrive with more openness and attention, giving the brand ownership of its moment and aligning with the calm, enduring tone it represents.
“The launch is conceived not as a presentation, but as a fully immersive environment. Hosted at a luxury hospitality venue with a 270-degree skyline view, the evening layers in curated scent, sound, food, and beverage pairings, and centerpiece displays. These choices embed the brand’s values—timelessness, calm, quiet luxury—into how the event feels, not just how it looks. Guests are invited to slow down, interact, and connect, experiencing the accessory collection as part of a lifestyle rather than a seasonal spectacle.
“Having produced shows and presentations in the past (including those covered by Vogue), we understood the traditional format’s press value. But this season, we intentionally pivoted toward after-hours formats. Paris Fashion Week, for example, has an established culture where evening events are woven into the calendar—often hosted by brands themselves as key touchpoints or extensions of the day’s program. New York, by contrast, has yet to formalize that layer. That’s why this quarter we deliberately produced two after-hours events, including this launch, as a way of both serving the brand’s strategy and contributing to the shaping of a new cultural rhythm for NYFW. Our aim is not only to introduce a collection, but also to help define what an evening activation can mean in New York: intimate, client-oriented, and lasting beyond the week itself.”
Sebastian Dollinger, Creative Director, Robert Talbott
“This season, instead of a traditional runway show, we’re marking NYFW with the grand opening of our Madison Avenue store. Fashion is often about the spectacle, but this season we wanted to slow down and invite people into something more lasting. It felt more meaningful to create a space where people can step inside the world of Robert Talbott rather than focus on a single moment on the runway. We see it as a chance to connect on a more personal level, to celebrate craftsmanship, and to create moments that outlive a show.”
Lori Riviere, Co-Director, The Riviere Agency
“As tariffs and shifting budgets leave both domestic and international brands scaling back or sitting out altogether this season at NYFW, we’ve leaned into the white space for our clients. Our approach has always been rooted in strategy and ROI, and in moments like this, that foundation becomes even more important. Brands can lean on us to be nimble and smart in developing plans. Whether that’s creatively grouping brands together to conserve costs or designing custom activations, we focus on always ensuring we are maximizing visibility, and delivering measurable impact. For us, it has never been about simply showing up, but about ensuring goals and expectations are exceeded. Now more than ever, our clients are relying on us for that approach… and a little bit of our DIY on a dime magic."
Michèle Boileau-Barmash, Founder & President, TWENTY6
“The runway is just one format that showcases a brand’s story, the real question is where culture is paying attention. Sometimes that’s at a show, but increasingly it’s on a street corner, in a collab, or in a moment consumers don’t see coming. Kith staging a full-on runway outside their SoHo flagship a few weeks ago was the perfect example: they ignored the traditional calendar, created their own moment, and turned the city into their set. That kind of surprise feels refreshing in a space that’s been so regimented for so long. Fashion is core to New York’s energy, and while we’ll always value NYFW for that, it’s just as exciting when we are able to work with brands that take the rules into their own hands and disrupt the system.”
Margaret Short, Senior Communications Director, Carfrae Consulting
“At Carfrae Consulting we work with a highly selective number of clients, and from a runway perspective our efforts have been focused on PFW the last several years. That said, NYFW (like any fashion week) is so much more than fashion – it’s everything that plays into the culture, the city, the beauty that completes a look, the restaurants that the talent, tastemakers, creators, and editors eat at, the wellness moments in-between the chaos, and the hotels where they stay. These are the lenses through which we’ve been strategically working with our clients, and where we are continually able to spark new, authentic, meaningful (and not to mention fun) ways to integrate into NYFW.”
Lauren Wright, SVP, Legend PR
“While some may question its declining influence, NYFW still serves as a critical platform for established brands and emerging designers alike. This September, those showing Spring/Summer 2026 collections are likely to consider unexpected locations – last year Coperni became the first fashion brand to hold a Fashion Week show at Disneyland Paris, and Christian Siriano just this week announced that his show will be staged at Macy’s Herald Square. NYFW endures because it gives designers a vital opportunity to showcase their creative vision beyond physical product, and we’ll continue to see this community challenge conventions – opting out of traditional runway formats, incorporating immersive experiences or consumer-facing installations, or backing the resurgence of see-now buy-now accessibility (rumor mills suggest Gucci may be considering for Demna’s debut). Loewe shook up Paris Fashion Week earlier this year by shifting to a co-ed presentation model, and between the costs of putting on a traditional show and the innumerable creative transitions for fashion houses this year, integrated events may be on the rise.”
Bailey Hospodor, Vice President, Salt + Ruttner
“This season, I'm working with clients who have opted for sectioned seating versus traditional assigned seats, which has its pros and cons. It's interesting to see this shift, but it is understandable with the rise in production costs, challenging brands to find ways to eliminate ancillary expenses and to ensure the show seating runs smoothly and on-schedule.
“By eliminating assigned seats, the pros include a smoother check-in and faster seating process to help keep the show on schedule. Guests no longer have to search for their specific assignment that can cause a traffic jam, especially in a tight venue.
“This format is also cost-effective for brands as PR teams do not need to print formal seating charts which often run north of $300 depending on the size of the venue, along with seat cards that add another $200+. Brands can instead digitally map out sections that are dedicated to press, VIP/influencers, sales, sponsors, friends & family, etc. For a format like this, the main cost would include section signs as a visual guide.
“While this format is efficient in many ways, the biggest challenge includes preferential and hierarchical seating. Without assigned seats, those who would typically be assigned to standing or a back row seat may snag a prime front row spot reserved for a top-tier invitee. PR teams can avoid this by creating 'reserve' signs that are dedicated to those guests and have a dedicated escort staff. Additionally, brands who are looking to execute this format should consider all front-row seats versus multiple rows to avoid any seating issues.
“Assigned-less seats may continue to be prominent throughout NYFW as it has an elevated perception that the brand only invites the 'best of the best,' and gives guests the autonomy to choose where they want to sit and who they'd like to sit next to.”
