Yes, Everyone Was at the CFDA’s New York Fashion Week Cocktail Party

Cheers to New York Fashion Week! After a quiet January, the fashion week mood feels extra fruitful as people ease back into the swing of things. Of course, the CFDA’s Steven Kolb and Afterpay’s Nick Molnar kicked off the fashion-filled week with a fabulous fête. The official toast to NYFW was hosted at none other than David Rabin’s Temple Bar, one of Manhattan’s most iconic establishments. Since the bar’s reopening this past fall, Temple Bar has quickly bounced back to its see-and-be-seen status with flying colors.

“I think it’s different here in New York than it might be in other cities,” Kolb began, “There is a sense of competitiveness, but it’s outweighed by the unity that exists within the CFDA community.”

Between glasses of bubbly and bites of cheeseburger sliders, guests enjoyed reuniting with each other ahead of the busy week. Fashion folk and designers including Hillary Taymour, Sinatra Martina, Phillipe Blond, David Blond, Connor McKnight, Maria Cornejo, Tanya Taylor, Patrick Herning, Adam Lippes, Batsheva Hay, Brandeis Daniel, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Patricia Bonaldi, Glamour’s Sam Barry, Vogue’s Nicole Phelps, Chioma Nnadi, Mark Holgate, and Allie Michler were spotted amongst the crowd. Even the city’s favorite Australian sisters, Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, stopped by to sip Champagne with friends, the first time the designer duo has stepped foot on American soil since the pandemic. Across the room, Kenneth Nicholson and Queer Eye’s Tan France chatted about their shared love for Indian-inspired silhouettes.

“Last season, my word was optimism, and this season is about people,” Kolb smiled.

While the NYFW schedule might lack some of the buzz-worthy usual suspects, the energy in the room was at an all-time high. “I’m eager to see newcomers like Sintra Martins in addition to my favorite veterans, especially Eckhaus Latta, who is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year,” Kolb explained, “And, No Sesso’s return to the Big Apple - that’s so exciting!”

Bountiful bouquets of gorgeous white roses and delphiniums by Flowerbx added a perfect touch of romance to the wood-paneled room. As the clock struck 7 p.m., designers and editors gradually trotted out into the mild air to take on the rest of the night’s festivities. “Humans by nature are social beings, and there is no better social situation than fashion week,” Kolb explained. “This season is really about bringing people back together.”