When the world descends on New York for fashion week, the buzz of a day of shows can be counterbalanced by an opulent, branded fête or an intimate cocktail shared through word-of-mouth and behind closed doors. No matter the venue, no matter the guest list, each season provides a masterclass in catering to the industry’s need to unwind and have a ball in the midst of the fashion of it all.

See below for V’s round-up of the SS25 gatherings that provided all the revelry, and a little something extra to fashion-files this week. 

Grailed x BARRAGÁN Throw Down at Nublu

Opening the door into Nublu for Grailed and Barragan’s fashion week revelry, you would have found yourself instantly bathed in red light, the thumping bass of EvilGiane, Eera, Bearcat, or D33J washing the room in energy befitting of the two hosts for the evening—sartorially elevated, sensual, and a little bit mischievous. The atmosphere was thick with celebration, the kind of energy that was a perfect release for the gathered’s packed fashion week schedules. Couples and groups swayed gracefully on the dance floor, taking quick breaks to refresh glasses and gaze around the room at the well-coiffed crowd. As the night deepened, the environment transformed into a sensory playground where each beat, laugh, and daring look contributed to the crescendo of revelry. 

Kim Shui Goes for Gold 

On a victory lap from her gloriously electric show and new offerings, Kim Shui set up shop at NO BAR at The Standard, East Village with specialty cocktails dubbed “Liquid Gold.” Long the host to memorable fashion week parties (last season seeing Wiederhoeft’s bash, for example), the set-up was an instant hit with attendees who mingled, sipped, and danced late into the night. Watchful partiers may have even spotted Lisa Barlow or James Charles amidst the packed space, energy high on arguably one of the busiest party nights in New York fashion. DJ sets by Stella Duval, Crush Sahara, DJ Sharf and DJ LONCHI commanded sweaty, festive energy as the festivities went on. It was a moment that seemed to capture the very essence of New York Fashion Week: sometimes glamorous, always energizing, and impossible to forget.

Collina Strada Horses Around at Performance Space

A honky-tonk of masterful proportions was the setting of Collina Strada’s celebration for the brand’s latest collection at artful venue Performance Space. Guests were treated to a mechanical bull, carnival games, an appearance from a (real) pony, line-dancing lessons, and music by cumgirl8, Papi Juice, and Alejandra Sabillón. Tickets won at the carnival (or for holding one’s own on the bull) could be cashed in for co-branded UGGs, a sponsor of the night’s hijinks. The event was a partial attribution to designer Hillary Taymour’s childhood as a self-proclaimed “horse girl.” The capstone to the night manifested in a live hobby horse performance, in which two riders performed tricks and wove through a course in tandem on the wooden beasts, all to resounding cheers from the gathered audience. 

Cafe Forgot Gets Dirty at an In-Store Pop Up

The eclectic outfitter, with its playful set-up of mirrors and imaginative selection of product across emerging brands and established mainstays, opened its doors for a party and event series with Dirty Magazine and Blip World (not your mother’s nicotine-quitting brand). The event featured photography by Cobrasnake, as well as a masterclass lineup of DJs including Princess Gollum and Donatella LeRoc. The Whitney Review’s editor Whitney Mallet took part in the reading series alongside speakers including actor Bobbi Salvör Menuez, writer Riley Mac, and trans activist/author Veronica Vera. Issues of Dirty Magazine, The Whitney Review, and Petit Mort Magazine were available, as well as products from Blip, Plan B from Julie, and fentanyl test strips by new brand Overdrive Defense. Guests bobbed to the music, flipped through a veritable library of downtown-centric media, and compared notes on the different events and parties that they would be running off to next.

LaQuan Smith Brings Guests to Paradise

Right off the back of a triumphant SS25 show, supporters and friends of the brand flocked to The Times Square EDITION’s Paradise Club for a night of celebration by LaQuan Smith and sponsor Samsung. The sensory overload of style and spectacle was a sight to behold, transforming the space into a futuristic dreamscape. A complex, immersive light show, music by fashion favorite Sita Abellán, and dramatic entrance by Teyana Taylor were all resounding highlights. Throughout the night, guests toasted to another season of the brand’s best-in-class dresses, skin-tight ensembles, and imaginative suiting – signature elements that have solidified LaQuan Smith’s reputation as a leader in bold, unapologetic fashion.