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Between running around from Manhattan to Brooklyn for NYFW shows, suspiciously positioning yourself just right in front of street style photographers, and skimming show notes in the back of an Uber, already late to a show that's running late itself, New York Fashion Week can easily feel like all work and no play.
That's where the parties come in: a little treat, a necessary release, and an unspoken reward after weeks of preparing a show, or days spent attending them.
But people often forget just how exclusive New York Fashion Week afterparties really are. There are entire YouTube series dedicated to sneaking into them. Between the long lines, fake names on guest lists, and people trying to use your name to get in, it's chaotic, but somehow, it never feels like enough to keep you away.
Below, I detailed what it's really like to attend a NYFW afterparty.
First stop of the night: just another episode of Love Island, or at least that's how it felt with the full cast in attendance. At The Standard High Line's Boom Boom Room, the space filled with mostly fashion industry insiders, influencers, and the entire Love Island crew.
While Boom can often lean into chaos depending on the night, this party offered a more refined, grown-up take on the typical afterparty. The iconic whirlpool bar served cocktails throughout the night, while early sets by Las Flaquitas delivered throwback remixes, think: R&B blended with afrobeats, that set a mellow, nostalgic tone.
As the evening progressed, Broodoo Ramses amped things up with a more lively set, giving the crowd permission to let loose. The first wave of Love Island cast members -- including Nicolas Vansteenberghe, Olandria Carthen, and Ace Greene -- eventually dipped out, just in time for the second wave to roll in, featuring Bryan Arenales and Austin Shepard.
The party stretched late into the night, with a magnetic energy that made it genuinely hard to leave for anything else, akin to filling the room with poppy flowers like a scene out of Wizard of Oz. Perfectly timed at the start of Fashion Week, it struck the sweet spot: high energy, fresh crowd, and no sign of burnout just yet.
Toward the end of the week, as a fitting close to NYFW, Coach and Perfect Magazine hosted a chic soirée DJ'd by Kaytranada. With moody lighting and a jazz-bar ambiance, the venue was split between a lively dance floor and a more laid-back lounge area, welcoming more "ones to know" and A-listers than any other event that week.
Held at Café Zaffi at The Twenty Two, guests arrived to a rolled out red carpet outside of the event. The scene, swarmed by publicists and paparazzi, all waiting for rappers and athletes to step out of their Suburbans. Inside, the space fully embraced the essence of a calm night out at a Parisian club in New York.
Kaytranada held down the DJ booth for the entire night, setting the tone as guests like Jayson Tatum, GloRilla, and Storm Reid gravitated toward the lounge area; some even casually playing board and card games provided on each table set with nuts and finger foods. Meanwhile, Elle Fanning and Charles Melton played the perfect hosts, mingling as the dance floor filled with editors, models, and influencers—many of whom were either on the floor or filming it.
Though branded as a "classy party," the urge to stay and move with intention never faded. The night wrapped up earlier than expected, but with good reason: New York Fashion Week had officially come to a close.