The Best Parties of New York Fashion Week Spring 2023
The spring 2023 season of New York Fashion Week has officially kicked off, and we are here to provide you with all the details from the parties that keep the fashion going all night long—well after the shows have ended. The Saks x Chloe Bailey party was decadence and luxury exemplified, with a five-foot Champagne tower and a Saks-branded martini ice luge (needless to say, the drinks were flowing that night). The guest list was just as luxurious: Tory Burch, LaQuan Smith, Wes Gordon, and Christopher John Rogers were all in attendance. The performance from Chloe Bailey, Ms. Little Mermaid herself, got the crowd going (and all we could say was, Lord, Have Mercy). Trust us when we say the fun is just beginning: Bottega Veneta, Opening Ceremony, and Susan Alexandra are just some of the brands that are hosting exclusive festivities during NYFW. Here, keep track of all the events worth knowing about.
On Tuesday, September 13, an A-list flock of models including Kate Moss, Jordan Barrett, and Georgia May Jagger (pictured here), stormed the Top of the Standard at the High Line in Manhattan to celebrate the label Foo and Foo’s first show at NYFW. Helmed by designer Elizabeth Hilfiger, the brand took over Boom Boom Room, with DJ Avalon Lurks spinning tunes early into the morning and photographer Cobrasnake snapping party photos reminiscent of his signature indie-sleaze, mid aughts aesthetic.
Moss paused midway through the party to snap a rare Polaroid picture with Hilfiger, who donned a look from her spring 2023 collection.
When guests walked into NoHo eatery The Nines for Frame Denim’s Sunday night dinner, they were given a small teddy bear dressed up as a bellboy first thing. Then, they immediately found themselves in a bar area that included everyone from designer Peter Dundas to model Daphne Groeneveld and YouTuber James Charles. Second daughter Ella Emhoff was off in a corner chatting with a group that included Achileas of Greece, a hereditary royal.
The event, hosted by Erik Torstensson, Jens Grede, Derek Blasberg, and Camilla Fayed, was in honor of the second drop of Frame’s collaboration with The Ritz Paris hotel. (Which, of course, explains why those stuffed animals were dressed as bellhops.)
Once the curtains opened to the vividly red dining room of the Nines, guests like Justin Theroux, Karlie Kloss, and Nicole Richie began filing in. At their seats: velvet cases for sleeping masks with their names embroidered on the front. But only a few guests ended up staying in their assigned location all night; there was a fair amount of table-switching as guests made the rounds and caught up with each other.
The food was a mix of high-end treats and comfort food (think caviar on baked potatoes, sashimi, and burgers and fries—basically a room service binge of dreams), but the real star was the drinks. Frame had flown in Colin Field, the Ritz Paris’s bartender who has been ranked the best in his field in the world. The specialty of the night? His dirty martinis.
Afterwards, it was downstairs to the club Acme for a bit of dancing and drinks for some. Others simply slipped their eye mask in their bags and went home to put them to good use.
On Monday, September 12, designer Áwet Woldegebriel—who specializes in elevated closet staples like t-shirts and hoodies—hosted a dinner at his brand Áwet New York’s headquarters in New York City. The event took place in celebration of Áwet’s collaboration with Maison Black, an online retail destination that sells Black designers exclusively. In lieu of toasting Áwet New York’s new fall wardrobe, Woldegebriel decided this spoke to the brand’s DNA. Guests including Nicole Benefield—whose latest collection showed at Harlem’s Fashion Row last week—Maison Black founder Tori Nichel (a co-host and collaborator for the event); and jewelry designer Lorraine West dined on West African dishes created by executive chef, Pierre Thiam.
That same night, Ye took the runway at Vogue World, a block-party-cum-fashion-show attended by Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, and many more.
Bella Hadid walked in the show, along with Serena Williams, Karen Elson, and Amber Valletta.
Doja Cat tried on a new beauty look to go along with her newly bleached eyebrows and shaved head.
Jared Leto, who gave an enormous bear hug to Ye as a greeting, wore head to toe Gucci.
Fresh off his runway debut at Coach, Lil Nas X performed for the crowd.
Bella Hadid and Serena Williams (who also modeled in the show), pictured here with Gigi Hadid, shared a moment while swarmed by photographers and fans.
On Saturday, September 10, crowds nearing the thousands swarmed around Elsewhere in Bushwick, Brooklyn for Marc Jacobs’s and Doja Cat’s Heaven by Marc Jacobs Fall 2022 party. (Rumors suggested over 3,000 invitations had gone out, with party crashers photoshopping even more invites in hopes of attending.) Once inside, it was clear there was no VIP area—this was the kind of party where Evan Mock could be seen dapping up Moses Sumney in the middle of the dance floor, while hordes of twenty-somethings who had just moved to the neighborhood looked on. Doja Cat took the stage around 1:30 AM to perform her hits like “Get Into It (Yuh)” and “Woman.”
The singer also danced along to electronic music she requested specifically from her DJ, saying, “This has been marketed as a rave, right?”
The biggest star of the night stayed backstage: Madonna, who guests whispered was in the building, took in Doja’s performance from afar.
Charli XCX also performed two songs, “Vroom Vroom,” and “Boys,” wearing head-to-toe Heaven.
The singer, pictured here with Marc Jacobs, paused midway through her onstage performace to yell “I’M DRUNK!” into the microphone.
Along with Doja, Pink Pantheress and Kaytranada performed, with DJ sets from Yaeji and Pelvis.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, Givenchy took over 9 Orchard’s rooftop for a cocktail party celebrating the label’s SoHo store opening. W magazine cover star Amber Valletta radiated natural beauty in head-to-toe Givenchy.
Ethel Cain, the musician who’s the face of Givenchy’s latest campaign, stopped by the party ahead of two nights of concerts in New York City.
Sita Abellan could be seen in the cordoned-off VIP area of the party, rocking a purple Mini G-Hobo bag and some serious chains.
Meadow Walker wore the trends of the season: a ribbed, white tank top and oversize denim.
On Saturday, September 10th, Kendall Jenner and GQ celebrated the FWRD fall campaign with boyfriend Devin Booker in tow (pictured here with GQ editor in chief Will Welch). Jenner, who is the creative director at FWRD, took over the Ned Nomad rooftop for the NYFW event, which saw musician Syd and Insecure star Kendrick Sampson in attendance, among many others. And, of course, there was plenty of 818 Tequila—Jenner’s liquor venture—flowing.
Kilo Kish, Laura Harrier, and DJ Kitty Cash put their coupe glasses down to snap a picture.
Emily Ratajkowski stopped by the party to support Jenner—a Christian Dior saddle bag parked firmly under her arm.
R&B sensation Brent Faiyaz showed out for the event in his signature look: a pair of ever-iconic sunglasses and an afro.
On Friday, September 9, Harper’s Bazaar celebrated its Icons issue at Bloomingdale’s Manhattan flagship. (The latter also had reason to celebrate—2022 marks the department store’s 150th anniversary.) Emily Ratajkowski wowed in vintage John Galliano for Dior—recent headlines be damned.
Julia Fox attended chose saran wrap as her accessory for the evning—with yet another play on the “Fox Eye.”
Drew Barrymore paired her cape ensemble with a water bottle.
Ziwe Fumudoh, one of Bazaar’s 2022 Icons, coordinated her eye shadow palette to her dress at the party.
Heidi Klum, it seems, did her own take on the “Fox Eye”—and with her leather look, was the undisputed fashion champ of the night.
Leave it to Opening Ceremony to invite every single downtown darling to their 20th anniversary party—and each one showed up ready to party. On September 8, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, shown here, threw a party at Schimanski’s in Brooklyn to celebrate two decades in the business, as well as to unveil a collaboration with Ugg.
Ilana Glazer and husband David Rooklin matched in blue tie-dye, with the former actress donning white boots from the OC x Ugg collaboration.
When Bowen Yang wasn’t cutting a rug on the dance floor, he stopped to take some photos with his Fire Island costar, Matt Rogers.
Rowan Blanchard stunned in a leopard print cocktail dress whose neckline nodded to the cheongsam.
Ballroom legend Kevin Aviance, whose track “C-nty” serves as the intro to Beyoncé’s single “PureHoney” on Renaissance, delivered a stunning musical and dance performance midway through the night.
Saks pulled out all the stops Thursday, September 8th for New York Fashion Week and their fall campaign, hosting a party at their L’Avenue restaurant that offered a chic caviar bump service and on-the-spot tattoos by Jonboy. The star-studded night featured a stellar performance from Chloë Bailey, who wowed in a David Koma sequined wrap dress.
Bailey was joined by NBA star James Harden (right,) along with other attendees including LaQuan Smith, Leyna Bloom, and Tory Burch.
Celebrity tattoo artist Jonboy, who has tattooed top celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, can be seen giving a partygoer some sweet discrete ink during the NYFW party.
Did we mention the Champagne tower?
Before taking the stage at the Goodman’s bar in Bergdorf Gooman’s mens store on Thursday night, supermodel Karen Elson was sitting backstage in an elaborately adorned Moschino dress preparing for her set. “I feel like I’ve turned into a lounge singer, which I’m very happy about,” said Elson.
“Recently, I’ve been really blending the fashion side with music more,” said Elson on her duel career. “Which gives me such relief to finally lock the two together.” Elson said she used to have “pretentious” notions about suffering to prove herself in both of her careers, and keeping them separate, but has recently let that all go.
“I am a model, and I love being a model. And I’m a singer, and I love doing that. If I get to do them both in the same week, then more power to me.”
Elson then introduced by the night’s emcee, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Symone, who marveled at her rise from small town Arkansas to hosting events at Bergdorf Goodman.
Once on stage, Elson performed original material alongside some lip-sync-worthy covers, including Cher’s “Believe” and Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.”
While Industry, Gossip Girl, and Saturday Night Live are all wildly different shows, three young stars from each—Marisa Abela, Evan Mock, and Chloe Fineman—managed to find common ground for the night. All three were dressed in designers straight from the racks of Bergdorf, which was lit up in dramatic red and redecorated to recall a vintage jazz joint.
Jemima Kirke has always done New York Fashion Week her own way, so it’s no surprise that on the same evening, the actor-slash-artist hosted an intimate literary-themed dinner and party at the Clocktower and Lobby Bar of the New York Edition with only a handful of guests you’ll also find at NYFW.
The theme was Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon (1959), a juicy roundup of Hollywood gossip circa the 1900s-’50s. Kirke had copies on hand and read excerpts for the unacquainted. (She coyly hinted that she’s “maybe” writing a book of her own.)
Activist Sarah Sophie Flicker (a longtime friend of Kirke’s and occasional subject of her portraiture) repped an “Abortion is Normal” pin when posing with the designer Suzie Kondi.
John Cameron Mitchell—director of Kirke’s upcoming Apple+ TV series City on Fire—stopped by wearing his best skirt.
Pier 17 was the place to be Thursday, September 8th, where Isabel Marant celebrated the opening of her new flagship store on Madison Avenue.
The party featured a special guest performance by Blackstreet, who got the crowd moving with the classic ’90s hit “Don’t Leave Me.”
Already a definitive force in high-end hospitality, the Aman Resorts group is coming for your wardrobe as well. Aman Essentials celebrated the launch of its leather goods collection at its brand new New York City location on Wednesday night. Aman Essentials CEO Kristina Romanova held court over a dinner that included Jessica Chastain, Maria Sharapova, and designer Amina Muaddi.
Chastain, who was accompanied by husband Gian Luca Passi, stunned in a kelly green dress that contrasted with with trademark hair. Guests dined at food provided by the resort’s Nama restaurant which specializes in Japanese washoku cuisine.
Afterwards, guests took a private elevator down to the hotels jazz club to take in a performance by Brian Newman, a frequent Lady Gaga collaborator.
Dixie D’Amelio, in town promoting the upcoming seasons of her family’s Hulu show, could been seen chatting with GQ editor Will Welch.
Courtesy of Theory
Lucas Ossendrijver unveiled the global launch of Theory Project, his first gig since departing Lanvin men’s in 2018, by taking over Gansevoort Plaza in New York City with a series of dance performances titled Movement of New York on Wednesday, September 7. The collection, which lives under the label’s space for collaborations specifically, highlights a fluidity in workwear that is synonymous with NYC lifestyle.
Courtesy of Theory
Photographer Myles Loftin and model Deon Hinton were in attendance—wearing, of course, Ossendrijver’s latest collection—and snapped a quick shot outside of Theory’s flagship in the Meatpacking district.
Longchamp celebrated the launch of its “Les Filles” campaign and Box-Trot handbag with an exclusive event on Wednesday, September 7th, featuring a special appearance by Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer.
Actress Crystal Reed wore head-to-toe Longchamp at the event, stunning partygoers in an ultra-chic sweater dress and plaid jacket with cowboy-esque boots.
Gigi Hadid’s Guest in Residence launch party at Le Chalet was the place to be on the night of September 6. The model celebrated her next chapter as a cashmere knitwear designer with her closest friends and family. Among them: Mohamed Hadid, Gigi’s dad and biggest fan.
Emily Ratajkowski embraced the big pants trend and palled around with Guest in Residence’s Isaac Ross.
And of course, she made sure to congratulate her BFF Gigi.
Queer Eye’s Tan France and Antoni Porowski caught up with the stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
Elsewhere in the city, Julia Fox turned the Jeffries’s fifth anniversary dinner at American Bar co-hosted by the web3 company P00ls into an opportunity to try out a new kind of statement eyeliner.
Evan Mock linked up with Kailand Morris, the model son of Stevie Wonder.
Ella Emhoff, another scion-slash-model, was ready for her closeup.
Mock also got to spend time with his costar Zion Moreno off the Gossip Girl set.
The photographer Wolfgang Tillmans—who’s just a week away from the opening of his Museum of Modern Art retrospective—made a surprise appearance.
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