New York Fashion Week's new partner KFN outlines plan to uplift event

KFN, a strategic partnership created by KF Fashion and N4xT, has outlined phase one of an initiative intended to bolster the presence of New York Fashion Week. The plan was revealed during an industry event attended by designers associated with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and various media, which then reported on the news.

According to WWD, which was one platform in attendance, the first phase is centred around The Venue Collective, a network of multiple venues built to cater to operational and financial needs in order to make NYFW more accessible. Designers will be invited to choose one of the venues to host their show with no costs for hiring the site, while support like technical floor plans, model dressing and backstage equipment rental will also be backed by KFN.

Designers are thus asked to commit to three consecutive seasons of NYFW in order to help support the calendar, while further allowing them to deepen audience awareness. Applications for the initiative are to be submitted to KFN, which told WWD that both established and emerging names have already signed up.

Phase one of the plan is expected to already launch in September, with the platform to be fully realised by the end of 2026. Future phases will expand on the idea of a fashion and entertainment platform, with features like cultural programming, public activations and nightlife events anticipated. In its final form, the centralised digital platform hopes to bring the NYFW community together.

Speaking at the event, Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA, said: “We welcome what KFN is doing to support the industry at large, which is aligned with the mission of the CFDA. This model makes NYFW more accessible and efficient and helps designers overcome logistical hurdles while freeing them to focus fully on their creative potential.”

KFN is made up of KF Fashion, an extension of media and entertainment firm Kilburn Media, and N4xt Experiences, the organisation dedicated to creative direction and event programming that acquired LA Fashion Week in 2022.

KFN itself launched in February 2025 during the most recent NYFW, when it was revealed that the organisation’s intention was to establish an event platform for the biannual runway shows. The launch rang in the start of a multi-year engagement between KFN and NYFW organiser, CFDA, which said it would “support efforts to strengthen the fashion week’s infrastructure and create new avenues for American designers to showcase their work”.