A Non-Exhaustive Guide to New York Fashion Week’s Many Characters

It’s New York Fashion Week and the streets of Manhattan (and, occasionally, Brooklyn) are flooded with the well-dressed—and hideously-dressed—fashion milieu.

The kickoff to fashion month, New York’s spring shows come with major “back-to-school” energy: everybody is back from summer vacation, the weather is lovely, and old friends enjoy a semi-annual reunion. But there’s also a hellish quality to fashion week. Everyone (who has an actual job, at least) spends each day sweaty, cranky, and undernourished, feet rubbed raw by their coolest shoes, with no luxury hotel to retreat to between shows.

Despite the fact that everybody thinks they’re built different, New York Fashion Week attendees are bound to fall into various archetypes. You’ve got the stony-faced editors, the DSLR owners street style photographers, and the people who skip shows because they were assigned—gasp!—second row. But lest we forget the power-tripping publicists, attempted crashers, and the confused New Yorkers just going about their days.

We decided to round up all of the characters you’re bound to come across this week—and all month long. If you think you’re not in here, then think again. Fashion week is the self-serious Olympics, so if you feel called out, perhaps it’s a sign to lighten up.

The Amateur Street Style Star

Is their outfit ugly-chic, or is it just plain ugly? Who’s to say, but the person who cobbled together a mismatched, microtrend-heavy look will stop at nothing to end up on Getty Images, even pacing around in front of the cameras until someone begrudgingly snaps a photo. Later, they’ll scroll through an endless stream of pictures, just to find themselves identified as “a guest.” They’ll post it to feed—with the watermark, obviously.

The “Street Style Photographer”

They’ve got a DSLR and a dream. They don’t actually know anything about fashion, but they’ll take a photo of anybody who pairs their Adidas track jacket and tiered maxi skirt with socks and ballet flats. They probably won’t tag you in their Instagram photo dump because you aren’t famous.

The Content Queen

“Everything is copy” is a thing of the past. Now, everything is content, baby, and that’s why your favorite (or least favorite) influencer is sitting front row, filming every last millisecond. Even though they’re ecstatic to be there, they’ve practiced their bitchiest face and leave their sunglasses on during the show. They cause a light traffic jam having an impromptu photo shoot on the runway, and later on, your TikTok algorithm will serve you their NYFW recap where they changed looks in between every show.

The Would-Be Crasher

They swear their name is on the list! Can you please just check one more time?

The Overworked Publicist

It’s them, their little black dress, and their headset against the world. This woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown is running the line like the Navy. Nobody’s a VIP in her book, unless you are an actual VIP—or just a friend—in which case, right this way madam.

The Second-Row Complainers

It’s actually not an honor just to be there. PR has a lot of audacity to sit them anywhere but the front row. Don’t you know who they are/where they work/how many followers they have?! They’ll crop everything they post from the show so that it looks like they were sitting front row all along.

The Megawatt Star

They’re a brand ambassador so they’re contractually obligated to be here. When asked about their favorite part of the show, they’ll say they loved everything before getting whisked away by a publicist.

The Too-Cool Editor

They’re not here for clout, they’re here to work. They slip into their front-row seat unnoticed, notebook and pen in hand. A lifelong uniform dresser, they’re partial to all-black or immaculately tailored jeans and tees. Among the fashion nerds, they’re the biggest celebrity here.

The Stage Manager With a God Complex

They’re starting this show in five minutes and they don’t care who’s not here yet, dammit! Now uncross your legs, lest you trip a model.

The Dog Mom

He’s a service animal, okay?

The Perplexed Athlete

Their manager told them it would be good for them to come, but they’re totally clueless to what’s going on. They get a lot of attention, and not because of their athletic prowess, or because they stick out like a sore thumb, but rather due to the skewed straight women to straight men ratio.

The Intrepid Social Media Manager

Make way, they’ve got content to capture here, folks! These brave souls fearlessly charge up to the VIPs, iPhone camera already recording. “Really quick, can you just say hi to our readers?” they request, before attempting to conduct an entire interview.

The Proud-Yet-Confused Parents

The designer’s biggest VIPs: their loving, yet befuddled family. While they have no idea what all this hullabaloo is all about, they’re just happy that their black sheep child grew up into a fulfilled—and somewhat employed—adult.

The Loyal Client

They’ve spent enough money at the brand that now they get invited to the shows. They’re wearing the label from head-to-toe, which they purchased for full price, of course.

The Aggrieved Local

They’ll ignore the spectacle—until it becomes their problem. When out-of-towners in outré outfits are clogging up the sidewalk, they’ll more than let you know you need to move.