As New York Fashion Week brought designers, influencers and show-goers to Manhattan this week, many chose the subway over town cars and rideshares, turning platforms and train cars into impromptu runways.
Attendees said the decision was driven by convenience, cost and the city’s notorious traffic. For those who move between multiple shows and pop-ups in a single day, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s network offered faster transfers and predictable travel times compared with Ubers and cabs, which are often more expensive and slower during the event, several riders said.
Chicago-based content creators Kristina Dem, 24, and Ioannis Adamopoulos, 22, said they booked a hotel near an F train stop so they could change outfits quickly and move across the city between shows. “It’s the fastest way,” Adamopoulos said. “Especially with venues being all over New York, we need to make sure that we have time for a change, or to make sure that we have time to make it from one point to another.”
Other attendees described similar calculations. “There’s so much traffic in New York, and to commute somewhere by Uber, it’s going to take forever,” Dem said. German designer Anastasia Mikusova, 21, and Maurice Demir, 26, said they did not mind the subway’s grit as they traveled to events in feather-adorned and Western-influenced looks.
For some New Yorkers and visitors, the subway is part of the spectacle. PR consultant and designer Nick Portello, 24, who wears original pieces, described the trains as an extension of Fashion Week: “It’s kinda like Comic-Con for me.” Portello said budget constraints and the logistics of moving between shows make the subway the most practical option, even if that means risking some wear to his outfits.
Several attendees described practical adjustments: carrying heels and changing into them closer to venues, swapping between multiple looks during the day, and choosing hotels close to subway stops for faster access. Hoboken resident Lo Hendrix, 32, said taking the subway “kind of gets you in, like, the New York Fashion Week mood,” and that the commute “romanticizes it a little bit more.”
Many riders encountered a receptive audience underground. Mikusova said commuters often complimented outfits and asked for photos, and schoolchildren gawked as designers posed on platforms. Ja’celyn Barnett, 24, visiting from Virginia, said she learned to carry her heeled boots and travel in sandals like a local. Other riders said New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing bold looks and rarely react beyond a glance.
Not everyone embraced the underground route. Some attendees said concerns about scuffing bespoke shoes or dirtying designer garments led them to hire cars. Jade Sykes, 28, and friends said they would not risk bespoke pink heels on the subway and preferred to pay for private transport. Nia Herron, 31, said she would rather pay extra than face the city’s “affordable but dirty trains.”
Safety and cleanliness were mentioned but did not outweigh convenience for many. Content creators and designers acknowledged some fear of dirtying white ensembles or encountering subway grime, but several said the trade-off was worth the speed and spontaneity. Demi Diamandis, 33, who wore vintage Chanel ballet flats and a quilted purse, said the city’s indifference lets people “do whatever,” including changing outfits on the street without drawing ire.
The shift toward public transit for Fashion Week reflects broader changes in how attendees navigate the city. Organizers and venues are spread across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and rising rideshare costs and traffic congestion can make private transport impractical for those attending a succession of events. For budget-conscious creators and international visitors, the subway offers a reliable way to be seen and to move quickly between shows.
While a subset of attendees still prefers private cars to protect expensive garments, the visible presence of couture, thrifted looks and hand-made ensembles underground underscores how the city’s transit system functions as a social and cultural stage during Fashion Week. For many, the subway has become part of the ritual of attending the shows: a place to be seen, to meet others, and to test the limits of street style as a public performance.
As Fashion Week continues, the subway’s role as a practical connector and impromptu catwalk is likely to persist, shaped by travel logistics, personal budgets and the city’s enduring tolerance for sartorial experimentation.