NOIR FASHION WEEK RETURNS TO NEW YORK FOR NYFW, UNITING GLOBAL DESIGNERS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, AND CULTURAL ARCHITECTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOIR FASHION WEEK RETURNS TO NEW YORK FOR NYFW, UNITING GLOBAL DESIGNERS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, AND CULTURAL ARCHITECTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
New York City — February 12–15, 2026
Noir Fashion Week returns to New York Fashion Week with its most ambitious and globally representative season to date. Taking place February 12–15, 2026, Season 9 reaffirms Noir Fashion Week’s position as a cultural force—one that shapes fashion through access, equity, and international collaboration.
This four-day experience will host 10 runway fashion shows, a two-day Noir Locale Market pop-up shop, the invitation-only Power 30 Awards, a curated Fashion Industry Speed Dating experience in partnership with SWYM App, and the highly anticipated Global Fashion Summit—a convening of international fashion leaders shaping the future of the industry.
Designers participating in Season 9 are traveling from Lagos, Cambodia, Moscow, Kuwait City, and other global fashion hubs—solidifying Noir Fashion Week as a trusted gateway into the U.S. fashion market for emerging and established global designers alike.
The Global Fashion Summit: Defining the Future Together
A cornerstone of Season 9 is the Global Fashion Summit, an exclusive forum designed to foster cross-border collaboration, cultural exchange, and strategic dialogue. The summit brings together fashion executives, founders, and policymakers from around the world—including Shirene Rifai, Founder of Jordan Fashion Week—to engage in conversations around ownership, sustainability, technology, heritage, and the evolving global fashion economy.
The summit positions Noir Fashion Week not only as a runway platform, but as a thought leader and diplomatic bridge between global fashion markets.
Why Designers Choose Noir Fashion Week
Designers choose Noir Fashion Week because it offers more than exposure—it offers access with intention. Unlike traditional fashion weeks that often exclude emerging and BIPOC designers, Noir was built to dismantle barriers and create sustainable pathways forward.
Noir provides:
Global visibility during New York Fashion Week
Direct access to press, buyers, and industry decision-makers
A production-forward runway experience without gatekeeping
A collaborative ecosystem rooted in community, not competition
International opportunities that extend beyond a single season
Noir Fashion Week is not transactional—it is transformational.
A Founder Building Fashion’s Underground Railroads
Founded by Nichole M. Bess, an internationally recognized fashion executive and proud member of the International Fashion Federation, Noir Fashion Week is guided by a bold and uncompromising vision. Often referred to as the “Harriet Tubman of Fashion,” Bess has committed her career to building modern-day underground railroads—pathways that move BIPOC and global designers from exclusion to ownership, from unseen to undeniable.
“Fashion is global, but access is not,” said Bess. “