NYFW: Overrated, Overcrowded, and Over It
New York Fashion Week has always been billed as the Super Bowl of style — the week where artistry, innovation, and culture collide on the runway. But lately, the magic feels forced. The clothes no longer feel like the centerpiece; instead, the spotlight has shifted to who’s sitting in the front row, what influencer managed to sneak backstage, and which celebrity cameo will trend on TikTok. The vibe is off, and it begs the question: has NYFW become less about fashion and more about status?
September 14th. Written by Ryan Packer The Lost Magic
New York Fashion Week once carried an aura — the moment where artistry walked hand in hand with culture. This was where legends were born, risks were celebrated, and the city itself buzzed with anticipation. Fast forward to now, and the whole week feels… different. Forced. Over-saturated. It’s starting to feel less like the future of fashion and more like a crowded stage play, where the clothes are background props.
The Vibe Shift
Fashion Week doesn’t even feel the same anymore. The excitement has been replaced by performance. The energy used to be electric — fashion kids running from one venue to the next, hungry to see what new vision would redefine the season. Now it feels transactional, predictable, and oddly corporate. Too many shows are about sponsor logos and celebrity cameos, not the actual craft. The vibe is off, and people notice.
When Influencers Feel Entitled
Let’s address the elephant in the front row: influencers. Many have built careers off fashion, and that’s valid — but lately, smaller influencers walk into NYFW acting like they own the room. There’s an entitlement in the air: demands for better seats, backstage access, and comped fits — even when their presence does little to push the culture forward. Instead of celebrating designers, they celebrate themselves. The art becomes a backdrop for self-promotion.
The Danger of Clout Culture
This clout-driven culture hurts not just the audience, but the designers. Emerging talents — the ones who need Fashion Week the most — are drowned out by TikToks of celebrities walking in late or influencers livestreaming themselves from the front row. When the narrative shifts from “What did you think of the collection?” to “Who did you see there?” fashion loses its heartbeat.
Time for a Reset
NYFW needs to strip down, breathe, and re-center on what made it powerful in the first place: fashion. Real fashion. Not just the viral moments, but the painstaking detail, the risk, the storytelling. If the culture keeps orbiting around clout instead of creativity, New York risks making itself irrelevant in the very conversation it created.