Five Emerging Brooklyn Designers Take Over Borough Hall at Star-Studded NYFW Show
Wyclef Jean and Ms. Lauryn Hill Reunite in Surprise Performance
***DOWNLOAD PRESS KIT HERE***
BROOKLYN, NY – A year after its debut made waves across New York Fashion Week, The People’s Runway came home to Brooklyn Borough Hall on Saturday night, providing an unparalleled spotlight to five emerging Brooklyn-based designers on one of fashion’s biggest stages as part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) official SS27 New York Fashion Week calendar.
Presented by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane, the creative force behind KidSuper, The 2026 People’s Runway transformed Borough Hall Plaza into an outdoor catwalk that drew several thousand New Yorkers.
Wearing KidSuper, Wyclef Jean closed the runway with a performance that was a love letter to Brooklyn. For the final song, Wyclef Jean stunned the crowd by welcoming Ms. Lauryn Hill to perform Ready or Not just as the Fugees celebrate 30 years since the release of the Fugees’ landmark 1996 album, The Score. Also performing throughout the show was the Songs of Solomon Choir, led by Bishop Chantel Wright, featuring 30 young student performers.
The front row included Wale, Francisco Lindor, Fabulous, Ellie the Elephant, Beenie Man, Jim Jones, Lil Mama, Mark Vientos, Joey Bada$$, Wisdom Kaye, Serge Ibaka, Russ, Fivio Foreign, YG Marley, NLE Choppa, Huddy, and more.
For the second year, Converse, a long-time supporter of emerging creatives, provided the new fat-laced Chuck Taylor Throwbacks seen throughout each of the designers’ collections.
“The People’s Runway is a celebration of Brooklyn and the artistry that shapes every corner of this borough. It’s about what’s possible when our institutions actually bet on our people,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Every designer on that runway already had the talent and the vision, they just needed the support to make it happen. The People’s Runway creates that infrastructure right here at Brooklyn Borough Hall, and I’m so proud to have carried this tradition into its second year. Thank you to all the sponsors who helped make this evening possible, and to Colm Dillane for his vision, partnership, and mentorship of these emerging Brooklyn artists.”
“What I’m most excited about is seeing The People’s Runway become an annual project. Seeing this new class of designers, and seeing what last year’s class has been able to do since their show, makes it feel very real. We’re building something that has a real impact on young creatives. There are so many talented people in Brooklyn with crazy ideas who just need someone to say, ‘Go do it.’ A real runway, real resources, real mentorship and a real audience can change things for a young designer. I know how much those opportunities meant to me when I was starting KidSuper, and I want these designers to feel like this is only the beginning” said Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane of KidSuper.
Much more than a fashion show, The People’s Runway is an initiative that combines the power of civics and culture to change the lives of five promising Brooklyn-based designers. Over the past few weeks, designers received mentorship from leading industry professionals including Angelina Cantu, Fashion Director at Paper Magazine; Caitlin Monahan, acting Editor-in-Chief at Hypebae; Tchesmeni Leonard, Global Fashion Director at Condé Nast; Rick Davy, Founder and Director of Fashion Week Brooklyn; Madrell Stinney, Editor-in-Chief at Hypebeast; and Nicole Phelps, Global Director at Vogue Runway and Vogue Business.
In addition to mentorship, each designer receives a $5,000 grant from Borough President Reynoso, with matching funds from Converse and Cash App, amounting to $15,000 for each designer to support their careers.
This year’s five designers were selected by Borough President Reynoso and Dillane following an open call that received over 200 applications from designers across the borough.
MEET THE 2026 DESIGNER COHORT:
Kuai Li, @quine_li_
Collection: Tender Armor
Kuai Li is a Brooklyn-based fashion designer and the founder and creative director of Quine Li, trained in product design and fashion with an MFA in Fashion Design from FIT. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Office Magazine, and CNN, and has been worn by Katy Perry, Kylie Jenner, Michelle Yeoh, and Doja Cat. Tender Armor, a five-look collection, followed the transformation of a heart into a wing — moving from blue-black through red and black to white as sculptural volume and engineered softness gave shape to protection, vulnerability, and quiet strength made visible
Tender Armor is a five-look collection built around the transformation of a heart into a wing. Moving from blue-black through red and black to white, the silhouettes expand as an internal force breaks through the surface and opens outward. Through sculptural volume, engineered softness, and experimental construction, the collection explores protection, vulnerability, and the moment when quiet strength becomes visible.
Lamin “Rey” Jaiteh, @reyjaiteh
collection: iDEK (I Don’t Even Know)
Rey Jaiteh is a Gambian-born, New York–based designer rooted in Harlem, working at the intersection of luxury streetwear and refined tailoring. iDEK explored the uncertainty that precedes transformation, using tailored silhouettes, denim, and intentional contrasts to capture the courage of moving forward without all the answers.
iDEK (I Don’t Even Know) explores the uncertainty that precedes transformation. Inspired by a season of change, the collection embraces the unknown through tailored silhouettes, denim, and intentional contrasts. It reflects the courage to move forward without having all the answers, finding clarity, confidence, and identity in the process of becoming.
Laurel Fang, @by_laurelblue
collection: Forms of Water
Laurel Tiange Fang, founder of Laurel Blue, is a fashion designer and creative technologist based in New York with a BFA from Parsons and an MPS from NYU ITP. Her work has been featured in ELLE, Grazia, L’Officiel, PAP Magazine, and The Boston Globe. Forms of Water translated the rhythm and fluidity of the ocean into wearable forms through kinetic systems, digital fabrication, and handcrafted textiles.
Forms of Water is my love letter to the ocean and an exploration of the relationship between human beings and the natural world. Inspired by the ever-changing states of water, the collection translates its rhythm, fluidity, and quiet power into wearable forms through kinetic systems, digital fabrication, and handcrafted textiles. Rather than treating fashion as a static object, Forms of Water imagines clothing as a living system—one that listens, responds, and reminds us that, like water, we are constantly shaped by the environments we inhabit.
Mose Aina, @igbosisun
collection: LEGACY
Moses Aina is the award-winning designer behind IGBO-SISUN, whose work has appeared in Vogue, OUT, and New York Magazine and has dressed United Nations leaders and Emmy and SAG nominees. LEGACY drew on the story of Aina’s great-grandfather, President Sylvanus Olympio of Togo, transforming family history into bold, colorful statement pieces built around courage, identity, and purpose.
Excellence is not simply inherited-it is courageously created, unapologetically embodied, and powerfully passed on. Inspired by my great grandfather, President Sylvanus Olympio, this collection transforms a family legacy into a movement of empowerment-honoring the power of courage, identity, and purpose. Through IGBO-SISUN’s bold silhouettes and colorful statement pieces, LEGACY empowers every wearer to embrace their individuality, lead with confidence, and to leave behind a legacy as unforgettable as their presence.
Roderick Reyes, @reyes_roderick
collection: Gettin’ Fly
Roderick Reyes, born and raised in Brooklyn to Dominican and Mexican immigrant parents, is a graduate of F.I.T. and the H.S. of Industries. Gettin’ Fly used authentic security tags and anti-theft materials woven into garments as a critique of consumer pressure, exploitation, and modern survival under capitalism.
“Gettin’ Fly” is a dialogue on modern survival. This isn’t a celebration but a critique of a broken system. Reyes incorporates authentic security tags and several anti-theft protection materials into garments, turning the physical weight of theft into a metaphor for carrying the quiet anxiety of stolen time. The designs play on value, exploitation, and capitalism. Showing the reality of modern theft and the intense consumer pressure to be “fly.” Reyes refuses to glorify or romanticize this lifestyle. Instead, the collection uses fashion as a visual platform to discuss crime, economic necessity, and maliciously compliant corporations.
MAKING THE PEOPLE’S RUNWAY
In 2025, Borough President Reynoso appointed Colm Dillane the first-ever Brooklyn Arts Ambassador as part of his efforts to celebrate and support the borough’s creative community. This initiative provides mentorship for emerging Brooklyn artists, strengthens connections between creatives and cultural institutions, and expands public engagement with the arts.
The People’s Runway is made possible with the support of sponsors including Converse, BÉIS, Cash App, Poppi, Brooklyn Org, Orange Barrel Media, MAC, Unite, City Point, Brooklyn Brewery, Voss, Brooklyn Arts Council, and Fashion Week Brooklyn. Additional support was provided by REP Agency, Interlude Communications, and Chemistry Creative.
Arianna Bowman, Senior Events & Partnerships Manager, poppi – “At poppi, we’re all about championing the next generation, and The People’s Runway is such a natural fit for us. We’re excited to support the initiative for a second year and continue celebrating the emerging artists, creativity, and community that make Brooklyn’s culture so special and help shape what’s to come.”
