Palestine, Holi, Olympic stars and a Staten Island ferry at New York Fashion Week

Opening weekend of industry's flagship event has been about more than just clothes

Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and models walk the runway during the Kim Shui show as part of New York Fashion Week. Getty Images

New York Fashion Week is under way in the Big Apple. Running until Wednesday, the annual spectacle officially launches the fashion month of September and is followed by fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris.

But there have been lots of headlines away from the collections on display. Australian-born designer Lewis Beilharz showed his support for Palestine with a model who carried the national flag and sported an oversized black and white linen-look suit with the words Palestine emblazoned down the side. The designer, who lives in New York, has previously been spotted in the city wearing a keffiyeh.

Palestine was also a hot topic at the Brooklyn Museum on Thursday, as crowds gathered to see a fashion presentation by dapperQ magazine. Closing the show, magazine owner Anita Dolce Vita wore a black and white keffiyeh as she walked the runway to Beyonce's Freedom.

Politics were also in the spotlight at the 'Fashion for our Future' march which coincided with New York Fashion Week. With less than two months to go before the US presidential election, designers, models, students and retail workers took to the streets around Bryant Park to encourage voter registration. Organised by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the event saw the likes of Tory Burch, Anna Wintour and Michael Kors turn out in force, accompanied by Jill Biden, who took to the stage to talk about the importance of voting.

From politics to Paris, Olympic athletes have also been attending New York Fashion Week. American gymnast Jordan Chiles walked the runway for Kim Shui on Saturday and Noah Lyles, the fastest man on the planet, appeared for Willy Chavarria as part of his Welcome to America collection designed to appear to unite immigrants by their attire.

Lyles, who took gold in the 100m sprint, was later seen attending the US Open tennis at Flushing Meadows, where he chatted with Formula One star Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver also partook in some New York Fashion Week excitement, posting a short clip from the star-studded Maison Alaia show at the Guggenheim Museum in what was the first fashion show to be held at the venue. Rhianna, who has become known for skipping high-profile events, was also at the show where Kendall Jenner walked the runway.

Tommy Hilfiger made waves during the opening weekend after announcing that a decommissioned Staten Island ferry would be the setting for his spring collection showcase. Owned by Saturday Night Live comedians and Staten Island natives Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, the MV John F Kennedy ferry boat was purchased by the duo at an auction in 2022. Previously serving New Yorkers from 1965 to 2021, the vessel will now be the stage for the renowned fashion designer's New York Fashion Week event on Sunday evening.

And while the Hamptons thronged with Labor Day traffic over the weekend, Ralph Lauren decided that the upscale holiday hotspot on the eastern end of Long Island would be the perfect setting for the designer's spring 2025 show.

Naomi Campbell walked the runway at Khalily Stables, where the Bridgehampton garden party was being held to preview an all-American and poli-inspired collection. The celebrity guests in attendance included Usher, Tom Hiddleston and Jude Law.

Finally, Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung turned to his roots for his 2025 spring collection, which celebrates the Hindu festival of Holi. Themed Holi Hope, the designer showcased flowing aesthetics and sheer materials in a show that concluded with a performance of models clad in all-white being showered in colourful powders, as happens during traditional Holi practices.