The Only NYFW Moments That Truly Mattered

On night seven of NYFW, Ralph Lauren staged his iconic show outside of his Madison Avenue flagship. Part of the reason? His Fall runway looks were instantly shoppable. Similarly, Rebecca Minkoff closed down Greene Street in SoHo, crowding the cobblestone road with a runway and concert stage, and plenty of other designers opted for fresh air too. Rachel Comey, Lela Rose, Eckhaus Latta, and Tommy Hilfiger are just a few more game changers who set up shop outside.

Anniesa Hasibuan put a high-fashion spin on her Jakarta-themed show, adding metallic details and beads to her ornate pieces. She's the first designer to show traditional Muslim pieces at one of NYFW's main locations, Moynihan Station.

Michael Kors invited musician Rufus Wainwright to perform in the center of his runway show, but that was only after Julee Cruise set the tone on stage during Creatures of the Wind and rock band duo Beau impressed Rebecca Minkoff's guests on the streets of SoHo. We're not just seeing clothes any longer, we're being serenaded and getting in the mood.

After Christian Siriano dropped a hint about his diverse runway, we could hardly wait to attend the show. When women of different races and sizes graced the catwalk, we heard excited voices whisper, "Yes!" and people clap passionately. Then, Jenna Lyons presented a J.Crew collection on friends of the brand, rather than supermodels, and Opening Ceremony included a mix of both in its runway show, enlisting Natasha Lyonne and Whoopi Goldberg. Sandy Liang and Tracy Reese also followed suit at their own presentations.

There were countless rides, plenty of fried food, and major It girls sitting front row, like Taylor Swift and Martha Hunt. They were there to support their friend, Gigi Hadid, who debuted her instantly shoppable collaboration with the fashion house on the runway.

After a shuttle to Roosevelt Island and a long wait for the show to begin on day one, attendees were outraged. But when it became clear that models were dehydrated — some even fainted! — chaos ensued. Editors shared snaps of girls kicking off their heels and falling to the grass, all before Kanye West took his bow.

The late legendary photographer wore his signature blue coat every time he stepped out to capture street style. The fashion world paid respect on day one, zipping into blue jackets when they were on duty and arranging blue chairs into the shape of Bill's camera right in the middle of Bryant Park.

He attracted fashion's elite to the former Four Seasons restaurant and entertained them with live music, lavish dishes, and glamorous Fall clothes. It was the designer's first foray into see now, buy now, and his collection was shoppable instantly.

Designers aren't holding back from talking politics, and this look is proof. On day one, this "F*ck Trump" mini opened the R13 show, though the print was also splashed onto a pair of skinnies. The message was loud and clear, and the brand even shared a sneak peek of the look ahead of the runway show. Later, the Opening Ceremony presentation urged show attendees to sign up to vote and Alice + Olivia's Stacey Bendet presented her collection in an "I'm With Her" painted skirt.

Of course there were a handful of buzzy extravaganzas, but many designers who used to favor a catwalk surprised us with cozy presentations instead. From Kate Spade’s strict social media rules (no posting full-length looks allowed!) to the casual pillow fight at Cynthia Rowley, many Spring collections came into the world quietly. We can’t help but wonder if the traditional runway show is slowly dying in lieu of performance art reveals or no event at all.

Did these pups get their own invites to the shows? We can't be quite sure. But Parker Posey's little guy sat in her lap at the Rachel Comey presentation, and Erica Pelosini brought her pal Cashmere to Zimmermann.