New York Fashion Week usually asks who has access. Brooklyn is asking a better question: why shouldn’t the public have a front row?
On Saturday, September 12, The People’s Runway returns to Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza, bringing fashion out of private showrooms and invitation-only venues and into one of the borough’s most visible civic spaces. The free outdoor show is presented by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane, the founder of KidSuper, as part of the CFDA’s Spring/Summer 2027 New York Fashion Week calendar.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m. The event is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, standing room only, with ADA accommodations available. Registration is encouraged through the Brooklyn Borough President’s office.
The fashion industry comes to the People’s House
The idea is simple, but its impact is bigger than a runway. Five emerging Brooklyn designers receive a $5,000 grant, direct mentorship from Dillane and industry leaders, and the opportunity to present their work during one of fashion’s most closely watched weeks. That means real capital, real production experience and real visibility at the same time.
For a young designer, the gap between talent and opportunity is often not creativity. It is access to space, production resources, industry relationships, presentation budgets and the people who can turn a strong collection into a sustainable career. The People’s Runway is built directly around that gap.
Meet the five designers taking over Borough Hall
This year’s cohort reflects the range of what Brooklyn fashion looks like right now. Kuai Li, founder of Quine Li, works through sculptural form and the relationship between the body, structure and space. Lamin Rey Jaiteh, the Gambian-born founder of Rey Jaiteh, brings luxury streetwear and refined tailoring into conversation with identity and craftsmanship.
Laurel Tiange Fang, founder of Laurel Blue, works where fashion, technology and the natural world meet. Moses Aina leads IGBO-SISUN, creating statement pieces rooted in fine art, luxury fashion and confidence. Brooklyn-born Roderick Reyes, the son of Dominican and Mexican immigrants, brings technical fashion training and hands-on experience creating and tailoring red-carpet, stage and press looks.
Last year proved people wanted this
The inaugural People’s Runway drew more than 1,000 spectators. Its front row included Ms. Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes, Ne-Yo, A$AP Ferg, Kodak Black, Jordan Clarkson and Francisco Lindor, but the most important part of the concept was what happened beyond the celebrity seats: Brooklyn residents were able to experience a major Fashion Week moment in a public plaza.
That changes the energy. Borough Hall is not pretending to be Paris or Milan. The columns, steps, street traffic, community and crowd become part of the production. It gives the show a visual identity that could only come from Brooklyn.
Why the format works
The People’s Runway sits at the intersection of style, city identity, live-event production, brand partnership and access. It is also a useful blueprint for experiential marketing. The city supplies the civic stage. KidSuper brings fashion credibility and creative leadership. Sponsors help underwrite the experience. Emerging designers receive tangible value. The audience gets a cultural moment instead of another advertisement.
That is what makes this more than a fashion show. It is a platform disguised as an event.
The 2026 People’s Runway
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn
Doors: 5:00 p.m. | Show: 6:00 p.m.
Free, first-come, first-served | Standing room only | ADA accommodations available
Reporting sources: Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, CFDA, Vogue and Complex. Photos above document the inaugural 2025 People’s Runway and are credited to their original publishers/photographers.
