The 40 best shows of New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week’s spring 2024 collections brought the heat. 

Between the soaring late-summer temperatures, sultry celebs in the front rows and steamy looks on the runways, the American collections sizzled.

Editors, influencers and stars crisscrossed the city to see more than 70 designer shows staged over six days. Fashionistas even ferried to Governors Island and trammed to Roosevelt Island to catch outdoor presentations for Gypsy Sport and Prabal Gurung (both in the rain). 

Ralph Lauren staged the most exclusive show of the week, inviting more than 60 A-listers from Jennifer Lopez to Sofia Richie Grainge to Brooklyn Navy Yard. The 83-year-old arbiter of elegance followed his runway presentation with a seated dinner for 250 in a reimagined barn setting, inspired by his 16,000-acre Double RL Ranch in Colorado.

In midtown Manhattan, creative director Stuart Vevers celebrated 10 years at Coach with a star-studded show and candlelit dinner at the New York Public Library.  

Glamour and romance are back, and the biggest trends of the week were vintage-inspired corsets, cropped blazers, floral appliques, fringed treatments, sheer or lace dresses, and sequins galore.

To help you get a jump on your spring wardrobe, here’s a look at NYFW’s standout styles.

Ralph Lauren

The Bronx-born designer sent out a series of greatest hits, including boho silk sarongs in shimmering jewel tones paired with eclectic jewelry.

Brandon Maxwell

Making the case for minimalism, Brandon Maxwell seated just 120 family, friends and fans at his event and showcased careful tailoring.

Prabal Gurung

With a West-meets-East focus, the Nepalese-American designer crafted blended-culture eveningwear and chic separates.

Gabriela Hearst

Gabriela Hearst invited Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Dern and Rebecca Hall to view her spring line, featuring sophisticated shapes in stealth wealth fabrics.

Ulla Johnson

Famous for her breezy printed dresses, this season Ulla Johnson collaborated with Brooklyn painter Shara Hughes on brightly colored, landscape-patterned frocks and slouchy suiting.

Jason Wu

With Lisa Rinna, Danai Gurira and Quinta Brunson gracing his front row, Jason Wu wowed the audience with prints inspired by scientific drawings and antique etchings.

LaQuan Smith

Top artists from Mary J. Blige and Saweetie to Summer Walker swooned over LaQuan Smith’s red-carpet-worthy sheer tops and metallic statement pieces. “He’s amazing,” said Blige.

Rachel Comey

Rachel Comey paid tribute to New York-based multimedia and performance artist Joan Jonas by integrating unique textiles and embellishments. 

Willy Chavarria

Throughout his stylish celebration of “Latinidad” set to tunes like “Si Nos Dejan” and “Bésame Mucho,” the conceptual fashion designer paraded up-tempo outfits.

3.1 Phillip Lim

With designer friends like Oscar de la Renta’s Laura Kim, Kimora Lee Simmons and Prabal Gurung cheering him on from the front row, Phillip Lim unleashed his unique denim and sportswear. 

Libertine

Libertine creative director Johnson Hartig serves rock star glitter and glamour with a dizzying collage of influences.

Sergio Hudson

Figure-flattering and fierce, Sergio Hudson’s ’70s-inspired chiffon dresses captivated guests like RHONY’s Jenna Lyons, Karen Pittman and La La Anthony. 

Tory Burch

Short skirts and crinoline rings shaped the society designer and philanthropist’s collection, enjoyed by Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts and Suki Waterhouse.

Elena Velez

Models trooped through mud and then got into a mini mud fight at Elena Velez’s Bushwick show, which she described as “ritualistic catharsis to the coddling, histrionic, and moralistic ills of oversocialization.”

Carolina Herrera

Yellow is a trending color for spring, and Herrera designer Wes Gordon lit up his line with a sunshine-y palette.

Sami Miró Vintage

Demonstrating how to upcycle, Sami Miró sheared a pair of pants into shorts with tails live on the runway, but zero-waste bustiers were equally entrancing.

Wiederhoeft

Between the dancers cavorting with folding chairs and a wedding-dress-clad Julia Fox ensconced in the audience, the Wiederhoeft show offered high drama.

Collina Strada

Collina Strada models wore draped and ruffled togs with huge forced grins, which changed when they got to the end of the runway and reverted to their “real” expressions.

Bach Mai

Vietnamese-American designer Bach Mai integrated a symbolic lotus flower print in his first runway show ever, attended by actor Kate Beckinsale and ballet dancer Misty Copeland. 

Eckhaus Latta

Indie darlings Zoe Latta and Mike Eckhaus experimented with transparency and novel tech fabrics in their sustainable show. 

Adeam

New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck performed at the ballet-themed Adeam show, replete with shirred tulle touches and laced-ribbon details.

NARDOS

In her “Venetian Blooms” show, eveningwear specialist Nardos Iman dressed modern princesses. 

Alice + Olivia

Stacey Bendet created her own version of Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White Ball and filled it with sixties-inspired Alice + Olivia finery, perfect for guests like Leni Klum and Zooey Deschanel (who attended with fiancé Jonathan Scott).

Altuzarra

Joseph Altuzarra’s refined collection was inspired by the 1968 horror movie “Rosemary’s Baby,” and the designer gifted copies of the Ira Levin novel it was based upon to guests including actor Lucy Hale and Nicky Hilton Rothschild.

Proenza Schouler

Effortless cool is the ethos at Proenza Schouler, and designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez presented just that to front-row supporters Rachel Sennott, Sofia Richie Grainge and Pamela Anderson. 

Anna Sui

Anna Sui made waves with a buoyant collection informed by underwater creatures and the deep blue sea.

Kate Spade

Actors Christina Ricci and Molly Gordon couldn’t help but smile when they saw Kate Spade’s exuberant graphics, festive color combos and gotta-have bags, courtesy of ready-to-wear and accessories designers Tom Mora and Jennifer Lyu.

Puppets and Puppets

Carly Mark cooked up romantic Puppets and Puppets fare seasoned with goth, and this model found it all quite delicious.

Cinq à Sept

If you need a party dress, you’ll score it in Cinq à Sept’s ladylike spring assortment. 

A. Potts

In lightweight cottons and optimistic colors, Aaron Potts’ voluminous silhouettes felt relaxed and refreshing. 

PatBo

Maximalist designer Patricia Bonaldi ruffled, beaded and fringed her way to PatBo’s “tropical opulence.”

Tibi

Tibi hero pieces are always in high rotation, thanks to founder Amy Smilovic’s expert eye for laid-back staples.

Bevza

Back in New York after showing in Paris, Ukranian talent Svitlana Bevza cut subtly sexy essentials and topped them with jaunty pageboy caps.

Christian Siriano

With Janet Jackson, Alicia Silverstone, Avril Lavigne, Kesha and Laura Linney in the front row and Sia belting out tunes, Christian Siriano’s 15th anniversary show was a tour de force.

Private Policy

The social justice-oriented fashion brand by designers Haoran Li and Siying Qu brought an aquatic edge to streetwear, drawing inspiration from the mission to protect endangered coral reefs.

LaPointe

Sally LaPointe literally stopped traffic with her dazzling outdoor show, full of sweeping silhouettes and cocktail attire.

Studio 189

Studio 189 models swagged down the runway in handmade-in-Africa designs by Abrima Erwiah and actor Rosario Dawson, marking the brand’s 10th artisanal year in fashion. 

Coach

Stuart Vevers celebrated a decade at Coach with a flashback to downtown nineties insouciance, cheered by Lil Nas X, Camila Mendes and face-of-the-brand Jennifer Lopez.

Helmut Lang

Peter Do’s inaugural collection for the minimalist brand riffed on the founding designer’s iconic narrow suiting, elevated jeans and message shirts.

Michael Kors

Michael Kors took glam guests like Blake Lively, Halle Berry and Rita Ora on a holiday fashion escapade in Brooklyn’s Domino Park.