What do you get when high-octane rap royalty, a Hollywood darling, and reality TV’s most headline-grabbing alumni all converge on one runway season?
Cardi B
You get a New York Fashion Week (NYFW) that refuses to play safe, one that commands our feeds, our imaginations, and our cultural conversations.
This season wasn’t just about clothes—it was about spectacle, reinvention, and the undeniable magnetism of personalities who shape the fashion zeitgeist.
Cardi B‘s Rap Met Runway
Cardi B has long transcended her track career, and this year’s NYFW reminded us why she remains fashion’s ultimate wild card.
She arrived with a theatrical flair only she could pull off. The rapper blended high glamour with Bronx-born edge. Her opening look was a jewel-encrusted corset paired with oversized fur—this was less about subtle elegance and more about unapologetic excess.
She pivoted seamlessly from daring streetwear to polished couture, just to prove she’s as comfortable in structured tailoring as she is in sequins and mesh.
Beyond the clothes, her presence commanded a rare energy—every designer who managed to dress her earned a global headline by sunrise.
For NYFW, Cardi wasn’t just a guest; she was a gravitational force.
The Quiet Disruptor: Lily Collins
If Cardi brought fire, Lily Collins brought an unexpected calm.
Known for her vintage-inspired red-carpet choices, Lily leaned into understated sophistication that felt refreshing against NYFW’s louder theatrics.
At the Rodarte show, she wore a fluid silk gown in muted tones, accessorised with minimalist pearls, a look that whispered rather than shouted, and yet stole every DSLR flash in the room.
Collins has mastered the art of modern Audrey Hepburn elegance, and her choices this season reaffirmed her position as a fashion darling who plays by her own rules.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka, Carlos Alcaraz – Tennis meets Fashion at 2025 US Open
Love Island’s Reality Renaissance
And then there was the Love Island effect—a phenomenon that continues to ripple beyond television screens and into the front rows of major fashion houses.
Several alumni from the banger series made appearances this year, not as background influencers but as invited VIPs.
They all dressed in coordinated monochromes, sleek suits, and playful cut-outs, the Love Island cast injected a surprising vitality into NYFW.
Critics initially dismissed reality stars as fashion outsiders, but their growing presence this season signalled a cultural shift.
Their Instagram followings translate directly into brand power, and designers know it. The show’s alumni brought the unapologetic, sun-kissed confidence of Ibiza villa nights into the often too-serious world of high fashion.
Whether or not one loves the series, its graduates are increasingly impossible to ignore in conversations about contemporary style.
My final thoughts.
As the lights dimmed and the last flashbulbs went off, one thing was certain: New York Fashion Week had evolved into something far beyond traditional couture.
It thrives on contrast, personality, and on the unexpected alliances of cultural figures who make fashion feel alive.
Whether you crave the maximalist drama of Cardi B, the elegance of Lily Collins, or the playful chaos of Love Island, NYFW served it all—and left us hungry for what’s next.
MORE FROM CHIOMA EMMA: When the Titans Fall: Giorgio Armani’s Final Bow & Anna Wintour’s Passing of the Torch.
About the Author
