New York Fashion Week has always been about more than just the runways. While designers debuted their Spring/Summer 2026 collections across the city, the energy carried on well into the night, where parties, dinners, and exclusive gatherings unfolded as integral chapters of fashion week’s story.
In today’s NYFW, after-parties aren’t simply add-ons — they are stages in their own right, where designers toast their collections, celebrities set social media buzzing with their looks, and the creative community connects in ways only New York can foster.
From Saks’ glamorous uptown kick-off to Odell Beckham Jr.’s cult-favorite FRI&NDS event, here are six of the most unforgettable parties that defined the SS26 fashion week season in the City.
Saks Fifth Avenue Kicks Off NYFW in Style
Fashion week officially began uptown, where Saks Fifth Avenue hosted its celebratory soirée at Le Chalet at L’Avenue at Saks on September 10. Hosted by Saks’ SVP, Fashion Director Roopal Patel, the night drew a who’s who of the fashion world — Wes Gordon, Thom Browne, Laura Kim, Fernando Garcia, Elsa Hosk, Olivia Palermo, Tinx, and Prabal Gurung, to name just a few.
The space, set high above Saks’ Fifth Avenue flagship, was transformed with whimsical touches: a leopard-print pool table, a retro photo booth buzzing with flashes, and dancers styled in looks directly inspired by Saks’ Fall campaign, giving guests a first glimpse at the retailer’s seasonal fashion forecast. The atmosphere was chic yet playful, with guests balancing Champagne glasses as they tested out the pool table or posed for candid snaps in the booth.
Disco Lines capped off the night with a performance that had the intimate crowd dancing shoulder to shoulder — an early reminder that NYFW is as much about community as it is about clothes. “There’s an energy only New York Fashion Week brings, and tonight truly captured that spirit. I’m so excited Saks Fifth Avenue kicked off the week with such an incredible collective of creatives, industry insiders, and friends. The magic of this week comes alive when we bring our community together, and these gatherings are always my favorite — the room was electric with passion and inspiration,” Patel noted, summing up the spirit of the evening.
It was a party that captured New York’s balance of sophistication and fun, a reminder that Saks remains a cultural cornerstone as much as a fashion destination.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s FRI&NDS Takes NYFW
On Friday, September 12, Odell Beckham Jr. once again cemented his status as the ultimate vibe curator with his now-legendary FRI&NDS party. Pulling up in cinematic fashion — motorcycles circling the streets — OBJ entered The Highlight Room like a headliner, kicking off a night of high-energy performances and style-forward revelry.
Inside, the atmosphere fused the pulse of a nightclub with the intimacy of a family reunion. VIP guests included everyone from Teyana Taylor and Coi Leray to Devin Booker, Kyle Kuzma, Carmelo Anthony, Eiza Gonzales, Liz Cambage, Malik Nabers, and Love Island winner — and OBJ’s brother — Kordell Beckham. There were celebrity crossovers at every corner: Coi Leray and Sevyn spotted dancing together, sports stars trading laughs at the bar, and OBJ himself caught in a candid moment with his father and brother.
What set this edition apart was how tightly it mirrored the spirit of Fashion Week itself — mixing high fashion with high energy. “FRI&NDS is about curating high-level experiences and what’s next in culture, much like NYFW,” Beckham exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “We wanted high fashion and high energy to collide here by curating a fire DJ showcase starting with Heron Preston, a man of many talents with his cult fashion line, followed by Austin Millz and DJ Ruckus. And this edition held many surprises for guests — with a motorcycle demo to start, exclusive merch and gifting from the True Religion truck outside, and a vibing party upstairs at the Highlight Room full of friends, family, and many people in the room who are true icons in their own right.” The mix was quintessential New York: Don Julio cocktails — including a specially crafted FRI&NDS Mule — paired with slices of Pop’s pizza.
For OBJ, tailoring each FRI&NDS to its location is key. “We always want to do something different for each FRI&NDS edition and create a cool immersive experience for guests that they won’t forget,” he explains. “We like to tailor our FRI&NDS experiences to the city and occasion — in Brazil at Soho House this month it was a celebration of the country’s amazing spirit and culture with locals DJ Mochakk, surfer Gabriel Medina & Pedro Scooby and more — or in New Orleans for our first ever FRI&NDS we had a local high school marching band, a community driven art exhibit and The Soul Rebels brass ensemble.
“New York was personal for me because I love the city so much, and its character has shaped me into who I am today. It turned out to be an incredible turnout and night of celebration with family, friends, and visionaries across sports, music, fashion, and art. I’m blessed to be building this community and have people show up to celebrate and support the FRI&NDS mission as a cultural platform spotlighting the best creative talents.” With New York now part of the FRI&NDS legacy, Beckham proved his parties are more than just hot tickets — they’re cultural moments, merging fashion, music, and community in a way that only he can orchestrate.
Calvin Klein x Mytheresa at Indochine
Also on September 12, Calvin Klein and luxury platform Mytheresa delivered a quintessential downtown moment at Indochine. The party followed Calvin Klein Collection’s Spring 2026 runway, designed by Creative Director Veronica Leoni, and carried the same minimalist-meets-sensual energy into the night.
Indochine — an iconic Nolita institution with decades of fashion week lore — was packed wall to wall with both international stars and New York insiders. Jungkook caused a frenzy of whispered excitement as he slipped in; Lila Moss chatted with Louisa Jacobson; Naomi Watanabe posed for selfies; Tyler Mitchell and Antwaun Sargent held court near the bar. It was a global guest list that reflected Calvin Klein’s reach and cultural influence.
The vibe was elevated yet effortless. Guests toasted with cocktails as Grammy-winning DJ Kid Harpoon spun an infectious set, joined by downtown favorite KITTYSAYWORD. The playlists flowed between sleek house tracks and throwback pop edits that had models, editors, and influencers dancing under the restaurant’s iconic banana-leaf wallpaper.
The partnership with Mytheresa also underscored the brand’s commercial power. The platform is exclusively pre-launching key Fall 2025 Calvin Klein womenswear looks this month, giving the fashion crowd another reason to buzz about the night. As one guest was overheard saying, “This is peak New York — Indochine, Calvin, Jungkook, and a packed room of everyone you want to see in one place.”
Off-White™ at The Standard, High Line
High above the Meatpacking District, Off-White™ transformed Boom at The Standard, High Line into one of the week’s most talked-about after-parties. Following the brand’s SS26 runway show, “Pop Romance,” Creative Director IB Kamara welcomed an eclectic mix of artists, athletes, and fashion insiders to toast the collection.
Boom’s floor-to-ceiling windows offered sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, making the perfect backdrop for a guest list that included Peso Pluma, Amerie, Ryan Destiny, Honey Balenciaga, and Rickey Thompson. Inside, DJs Moochie, Las Flaquitas, and Broodoo Ramses kept the tempo high with pulsing house and eclectic beats that drew everyone to the dance floor.
Guests sipped Hendrick’s specialty cocktails like the Cucumber Spritz and Garden Negroni, alongside playful Poppi Moscow Mules, adding a refreshingly modern twist to the mix. As the night wore on, the crowd felt more like a creative salon than a standard after-party — designers, stylists, musicians, and influencers swapping ideas between dances.
The setting itself carried as much weight as the collection. Boom, with its glittering downtown energy and coveted reputation, reinforced Off-White’s ability to merge Milanese craftsmanship with New York nightlife cool. The night underscored Kamara’s vision of Off-White™ as not just a fashion brand, but a cultural bridge between continents, communities, and creative disciplines.
Jennifer Fisher: Uptown Girl
On September 16, jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher gathered friends, tastemakers, and longtime supporters to toast two defining moments: her brand’s 20th anniversary and the forthcoming opening of her new Madison Avenue flagship. While the store officially opens its doors on September 20, this intimate uptown fête gave guests a first glimpse of Fisher’s glittering new home on one of Manhattan’s most iconic luxury corridors.
The anniversary party brought together friends of the brand, press, tastemakers, and longtime supporters for a first look inside the new space. Over the past two decades, Fisher has built a brand synonymous with bold, wearable luxury beloved by stylists, celebrities, and everyday women alike. Now, with her uptown flagship, she’s expanding that ethos into a holistic destination that merges jewelry, wellness, and community under one roof.
Inside, guests previewed the Fine Knot collection, a sleek 18K gold revival of one of Fisher’s archival motifs, signaling both a nod to her legacy and her continual reinvention. The guest list reflected her reach across fashion, media, and culture. Martha Stewart, Jessica Alba, Katie Couric, Leandra Medine Cohen, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Charlotte Groeneveld, Tina Craig, Gab Waller, Dani Stahl, Stacey Bendet, Kate Davidson Hudson, Jason Rembert, Paul Andrew, Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, and Brett Heyman all turned out to celebrate the moment.
The mood was celebratory but also deeply personal — an acknowledgment of how Fisher has shaped the way New York dresses, accessorizes, and defines “everyday glamour.” If the downtown after-parties pulsed with nightlife energy, Fisher’s soirée was a reminder of the enduring power of uptown refinement: polished, timeless, and rooted in legacy, but with an eye firmly on the future.
Veronica Beard’s Icons Party at Corner Bistro
On September 9, Veronica Beard set the tone for the week with an “Icons Party” at Manhattan’s legendary Corner Bistro. Hosted by co-founders Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard, the event celebrated the launch of the Fall 2025 Iconic. collection, which takes inspiration from the enduring symbols and women who define New York City.
Katie Holmes, Natasha Lyonne, Molly Gordon, Nicole Ari Parker, Pauline Chalamet, Misty Copeland, Antonia Gentry, Abby Elliott, and Karen Gillan were among the VIPs who joined fashion insiders and friends of the brand for a night that was equal parts downtown grit and uptown polish.
The Misshapes kept the energy buzzing with a signature DJ set, while guests enjoyed caviar service, specialty cocktails, and passed hors d’oeuvres. True to its New York roots, the brand transformed Corner Bistro with clever city-centric details: wheat-paste posters wrapping the exterior, a corner-store-inspired flower installation, and a pop-up souvenir shop filled with kitschy memorabilia reimagined through a VB lens. The night ended on a quintessential New York note with a pretzel cart stationed outside, a playful sendoff for the stylish crowd.
Much like the Veronica Beard woman — always on the go, effortlessly balancing errands, commitments, and after-parties in style — the event embodied the spirit of the city where the brand was born: iconic, adaptable, and unmistakably New York.
The Takeaway
SS26 confirmed what insiders already know: the shows may set the tone, but the after-parties set the mood. Saks proved that uptown chic still reigns supreme, OBJ brought culture-shaping energy to his FRI&NDS bash, Calvin Klein delivered the ultimate downtown insider’s party, Off-White filled the skyline with house beats and hype, and Jennifer Fisher brought the celebration uptown with timeless elegance.
In a city where every night has the potential to become a headline, these gatherings weren’t just parties — they helped shape the pulse of NYFW itself.
