In the midst of streetwear pop-ups, art exhibitions, brunches, after-parties, and the hustle and bustle, Noir Fashion Week brings a breath of fresh air to the cluttered, yet fashionable streets of New York City during fashion week. The future of fashion has its fingers on the pulse, cultivating an environment where emerging designers don’t have to fight to be seen, cultural roots aren’t watered down, and everyone can bring their culture into the room safely and proudly.
At the top of Black History Month, Founder Nichole M. Bess, often referred to as the Harriet Tubman of Fashion, frames the mission for Noir Fashion Week clearly. “We are building underground railroads of access. Season 9 represents another passage connecting emerging designers to global stages, global partners, and global commerce. We are not asking for seats at tables, we are building new ones.” Bess’s visionary act of revolutionizing fashion from a mere capitalistic focus to an intentional community-building movement is a testament to the impact Black women make when at the forefront of change in every industry.
The official NYFW calendar can only hold so many spaces for emerging and established designers. Expanding the number of intentional spaces where designers of color are being platformed not just for the spectacle, but for the love of emerging creatives and raw, authentic cultural expression through art, moves fashion forward with intention and progression.
The week kicked off with the Beyond the Runway: Global Fashion Summit “Defining the Future of Fashion Together” and Power 30 Awards, honoring fashion changemakers such as Dr. Jamal Bryant, Ashlee Muhammad, Shirene Rifai, and more. After giving the industry’s current voices in fashion their flowers, February 13th kicked off a full day of shows featuring womenswear, menswear, student projects, and coastal travelwear.
Moscow’s SOLANGEL, seen on iconic stars Beyoncé, JLO, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, and Cardi B, kicks off the day with a private Fall/Winter 26 showing of vibrant statement dresses, jumpsuits, and power suits. At 4 pm, designers Jose Vazquez and Emma Effa kick off the Prêt-à-porte collective with funkadelic ready-to-wear couture and grounded, traditional, and sophisticated womenswear.
Although Jose Alberto Vazquez couldn’t be physically present due to an unexpected health diagnosis, his designs still hit the Noir runway. In nine looks, the womenswear collection featured feminine, flowy, yet structured designs rooted in Mexican heritage. The collection features quilted drapes, structured tweed in black, grey and white, with hints of vibrant orange, red, and gold prints. With a conservative yet modern and contemporary twist, models slowly graced the runway in sleek ponytails, exuding grace and power.
Noir Fashion Week veteran, Maria Feton of Emma Effa, brings “funk couture” from Washington DC to the runway with natural fibers, voluminous silhouettes, and handcrafted accessories. Models powerfully strut down the runway in the Fall/Winter 26 collection to Doechii’s “Nosebleeds” in a bold, eclectic, and vibrant collection. From structured merino wool, silk chiffon, tweed, quilted cotton, mixed yarns, layered tulle, to voluminous asymmetrical plaid skirts and metallic accents, the edgy collection is for the collective that takes up space unapologetically. In Feton’s words, “the narrative of a garment is always the main character.”
While the runway is a space for impactful storytelling and representation, in the Urban Zulu x Trap Heals case, the Noir runway was a space for a political statement and powerful messaging, utilizing their time to spread awareness and advocate for the natives of Congo and the exploitative mining conditions of the cobalt that fuels the success of the trillion-dollar digital technology industry.
Each piece is for the modern revolutionary who is unapologetically black and walks with a mission to advocate for change and to stand up for those who can’t speak for themselves. The collaborative collection born out of an organic trip to South Africa in December 2025, transpired into the “No Congo No Digital: Greetings From” collection.
Before designs took over the runway, Fred Hampton’s activating voice plays over the speakers, reciting his 1969 speech “…Why don’t you die for the people?” Not only carried by activism but also by musical storytelling, Trap Heals co-founder and musician Damon Turner performs “olives” live on the front row, with lyrics that resonate beyond the conditions of Congo and translate into the genocides in Palestine and Sudan, and into ICE’s terrorism in the United States.
Beyond black and white, the collections carried colors symbolic of peach clay and cobalt teal, and silhouettes that flowed down the runway with power and resilience. As Trap Heal’s first collection to present the runway, it also includes cultural references with duck canvas and homage to African royalty with pleats and utilitarian workwear for modern creatives, tactile, durable, and resilient, shadowing the clothing of current natives designed to endure the harsh circumstances they must work in.
From underdeveloped infrastructure to predatory practices disguised as free enterprise, the Fred Hampton statement remains prominent today. Unlike corporate industries, which remain silent during cultural and political conflict, artists use their creative platforms to speak up during protests.
With strong momentum, the Emerging Designer Collective shifts the room into new visions, making fashion unique again. Vagari Vati Brooklyn makes its runway debut with sustainable, minimalist resortwear. In a neutral palette, models stride slowly in breathable organic fibers, perfect for those who love to touch grass and travel the world.
Amirah Creations brings the year-round “Bold and Beautiful” collection to the runway, made for the modern woman who enjoys adaptability, comfort, and versatility. The colorblocked dresses and skirts balance vibrance, neutrality, and cool tones, effortlessly, in fabrics that are spacious and wearable for all body types. Bold, floral embellishments on dark laid-back denim and corsets add abstract art to deep-toned casual classics.
Edessa School of Fashion ends off the emerging designers with the next generation, bringing five student works from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the New York runway, by way of founder Lynne Dixon. From dark and moody couture gowns to homage-driven contemporary wear, alongside Lynee’s own swimwear line, the 4-year fashion school is proof that the next generation of design is very bright.
The evening ends with the Global Men’s Collective, showcasing menswear from Cambodia, Lagos, Fiji, and New York.
Badeseré Lagos brings Nigerian elegance and royalty to menswear in robust violet, sunburnt orange, and rich chocolate, with embellished collars on suiting, structured Kaftans and Agbadas, and pristine tailoring with a modern twist, utilizing Oso Akoe fabric of Yoruba, symbolizing royalty and sustainability.
The evening ends with the Global Men’s Collective, showcasing menswear from Cambodia, Lagos, Fiji, and New York.
Drewe Taylor Designs also brought homage to Khmer culture on the runway with the “Kingdom Rising “Collection, where ancient traditions meet raw, urban energy. The Cambodian-based line brought neon pink, lime green, and fluorescent orange, intertwined with grounded denim, electrifying menswear with glistening embellishments, edgy denim patchwork, and streetwear-style utility.
The spotlight on culture continues, bringing indigenous fabrics, prints, and textures into contemporary men’s dressing with Temesia & Co. from Fiji. Designer, Temesia Tuicaumia blends traditional and modern silhouettes, visioning luxury menswear rich in craftsmanship and heritage in aligned collaboration with Meertes Luxury handbags. That exuded on the runway as live artists provided the musical component as models proudly strut before sitting down to pay homage to Nichole M. Bess, to her surprise. Tuicaumia later stated on an Instagram post “In Pacific culture, we honor those who open doors. We acknowledge those who create space. We do not take hospitality lightly. Our gesture was one of unity, gratitude, and cultural protocol reflecting how we carry ourselves as Pacific people on global stages. We did not come to New York alone. We arrived as a collective.”
Closing the show to Shalamr’s “A Night to Remember”, designer, Robert Pauley III shifts the runway into a party scene where every look on the runway is silky suiting, tapered bottoms, collared wool jackets, statement fur coats, and longline blazers. Welthe Guy NYC’s diverse collection represents every type of man that you’ll see walking the New York City streets with looks made for every occasion.
As we’re romanticizing diversity in fashion, the Swym App and Noir hosted a Speed Dating Event on Valentine’s Day to end off fashion week with more love in the air. As we’re mentally still in Noir, we’re also ignited that the days of fighting for recognition are over. Noir Fashion Week shifts the industry, setting up designers for the exposure to become major fashion houses of their own, outside of mainstream overshadow.
The future of fashion week is unapologetically diverse and visionary, bridging the gap between creatives, stylists, and designers, not for spectacle but for enlightenment of fashion lovers across the globe.
