While Milan and Paris host separate fashion weeks for their men’s designers, New York Fashion Week has traditionally showcased women’s designs. In 2014 Agentry PR founder and owner Erin Hawker recognized that US-based menswear brands needed a platform to showcase their seasonal collections. Enter New York Men's Day or NYMD. Now in its 24th season, NYMD presented by Project and Coterie trade shows will debut in a new space at the recently renovated Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan.
With other sponsors, such as Oribe Hair Care, Grimoire, and Augment, combined, the sponsors cover over 85 percent of the costs. Designers are responsible for models, props, and additional lighting if needed
"Presentations and shows can be cost-prohibitive for young designers starting their business. None of NYMD would be possible without our sponsor partners," said Hawker over email. It can be beneficial for emerging designers and brands to get wider industry recognition.
"Sebastien Ami showed with NYMD in 2023 and was a CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalist in 2024; Private Policy has also shown with us previously for five seasons and was also a finalist in the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund. Our goal is to provide a huge windshield to fashion industry tastemakers, buyers, and editors, but how a brand progresses is ultimately up to their evolution as a brand," she continued.
With this year’s event taking place on September 11, featuring eight labels, its success brings Hawker pride. "New York Men’s Day will always be a project that has given me a great sense of affirmation, and to see the program evolve, pivot, and grow with an ever-changing climate is something I'm proud to see come to life. Below is a sneak peek at this season's lineup.
Peak Lapel
WHO: Peak Lapel, designed by Jack Milkes & Ben Stedman, was founded in 2024. It's their second time at NYMD.
WHAT: A vision of preppy menswear through the lens of the Parsons School of Design students who aim to stir interest in American heritage brands in the younger generation.
WHERE: The brand's E-commerce will launch for Spring/Summer 2026.
INSPIRATION: For SS 26, the brand continues its journey inspired by classic American prep through the eyes of a younger generation that craves tradition and reinvention, preserving the codes of timeless menswear while embracing a modern language of youth, modern utility, and cultural relevance.
QUOTE: "The fashion industry is one of the most competitive and challenging. Men's Day makes it easier to navigate, and the team has helped us to be where we are today," said Milkes and Stedman in a statement.
Clara Son
WHO: Clara Son, designed by Clara Son, was founded in 2020. It's Son's fourth time showing at NYMD.
WHAT: The brand redefines modern menswear through narrative-driven design, exploring menswear as an emotional landscape, where structure meets vulnerability. Clara Son merges unconventional silhouettes with timeless tailoring to create pieces that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant.
WHERE: The brand is distributed globally through www.clarason.com and select retailers, including Wolf & Badger and Doors NYC.
INSPIRATION: Every collection draws from intimate life experiences, transforming memory and challenge into shape, texture, and detail. It is an ongoing narrative - clothing as both armor and poetry.
QUOTE: "NYMD has been a platform to share an uncompromising vision with international press, buyers, and tastemakers. Through it, the brand seeks not only expanded retail relationships but also a deeper cultural imprint in the evolving story of menswear," said Son in a statement.
Oxblood Zebra
WHO: Oxblood Zebra, designed by Reuban Shaw, was founded in 2015. This is the brand’s first time at NYMD.
WHAT: The concept of Oxblood Zebra is sartorial storytelling, crafting garments that empower individuals to embrace the greatest version of themselves, beyond narratives they've been told. Each piece is an invitation to own your story and share it on your own terms.
WHERE: Distribution is DTC via thoxbloodzebra.com, select curated pop-ups, and trunk shows.
INSPIRATION: This collection is for those who live beyond the margins. "Off-Script: The Rule Breakers' Uniform" is a visual manifesto redefining menswear for the multidimensional man—tailored yet untamed, polished yet unapologetic. Every garment is a paradox: a protest in fabric, a narrative stitched by a man who refused to follow the blueprint. This season, the uniform isn't about conformity; it's about structure in service of self-expression, rebellion refined into rhythm.
QUOTE: "I don't take this opportunity lightly. I hope to share my story and journey while building the kind of community I've always dreamed of. NYMD gives us a chance to open the doors to our world and invite others in," said Shaw in a statement.
Archie
WHO: Archie, designed by Mark Smith Clarke, was founded in 2020. This is the brand's first time at NYMD.
WHAT: Archie was founded on three reflexive properties: (1) Iteration, (2) Projectivity, and (3) Practical Evaluation.
WHERE: Archie is distributed via wholesale by & Son and Colbo, both in NYC; Understory in Oakland; Rising Star Laundry in San Francisco, Today Clothing in Ann Arbor, MI; Million Goods in Brooklyn; Cypress in Dallas; Ships and Beams, both in Japan; 88 Curate in Korea, and Grays in Toronto.
INSPIRATION: Archie emphasizes an intentional, measured approach to domestic garment production. By examining the relational characteristics between fabric texture, color, and silhouette, Archie acts as a fractal of conceptually driven collections that speak to quieter truths on being and experience.
QUOTE: "I hope to grow my exposure and create an effective presentation that can live separately after the event, and to make proud the lineage of independent designers that have come through New York City before me. Hopefully, I will inspire others to continue working domestically in New York.
FIT MW25 Collective
WHO: The MW25C Collective is a group of emerging designers who recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT's) Menswear program. This is The Collective's first show at NYMD and its first show anywhere.
WHAT: Hailing from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, each member shares a collective passion for pushing menswear to serve a new generation and a wider range of masculine expressions.
INSPIRATION: After two years of working together and being inspired by each other and their respective circles, a group of friends banded together and formed The Collective to put on a menswear presentation that creates harmony out of individuality. While each designer pushes forward with their unique perspective, collectively, they offer a glimpse of a future where menswear is more of a personal statement than a uniform. One designer draws on his Pittsburgh’ Steel Town’ upbringing to inspire his take on workwear. Another designer incorporates his Salvadoran heritage through his connection to New Orleans. A Midwestern electrician combines rest stops with retrofuturism. One designer creates organic takes on streetwear from his native Japan, while another updates Korean formal wear. A NYC-raised designer mixes cocktails of natural dyes in his East Harlem apartment, while another translates ball gowns and couture detailing into men's special occasion wear.
QUOTE: "As the members of the collective are moving out of their initial education and into new opportunities in the fashion world, the chance to participate in NYMD is giving the group a forum to present as a collaborative unit, providing them with a professional industry platform and debut stage for its designers to step into the professional fashion world," said a spokesperson for The Collective.
Bryan Jimenéz
WHO: Bryan Jimenéz designed by Bryan Jimenez was founded in 2018. This is the brand’s first time at NYMD.
WHAT: The brand is described as 'raw and vibrant'.
WHERE: Direct-to-consumer at brynajimenez.com; wholesale distribution includes Essex, NYC; Boontheshop, Seoul; and Antonioli in Milan.
INSPIRATION: My collections are built on a continuous set of ideals of the moment. I'm inspired by the musical artists I grew up watching and listening to, and their references to American Rap Superstars.
QUOTE: "I'm thankful for NYMD providing the platform and structure to make the show happen," said Jimenez in a statement.
Max Esmail
WHO: Max Esmail designed by Max Esmail was founded in 2024. This is the brand's second time showing at NYMD.
WHAT: Described as an extension of the designer who was born in 1989, the collection is menswear for free thinkers with a taste for the finer things, unburdened by rules, regulations, and societal constructs.
WHERE: Inquiries at Max@maxesmail.com.
INSPIRATION: The spring-summer 2026 collection draws from the shadowed allure of underworld crime. These villains hold chilling charisma and quiet menace, dressed in tailored refinement as they glide through neon-lit backrooms, dangerous streets,
or high society with untouchable authority. Their hard-won wealth, lavishly spent, fuels a refined masculinity that blends cold calculation with sprezzatura.
QUOTE: "I hope to be introduced to industry titans that can help bring my vision to life. That said, I will be satisfied to have a world-class lookbook shot by Stefen Pompee," said Esmail in a statement.
Joseph McRae
WHO: Joseph McRae designed by Joseph McRae founded in 2015. This is the brand's second season at NYMD.
WHAT: The custom-made brand aims to blur the line between masculinity and femininity, creating a safe space for daring creativity and expression.
WHERE: The collection can be viewed and ordered through Josephmcrae.com.
INSPIRATION: Bloom marks the 10th collection and anniversary—a decade defined by curation, vision, and resilience. This collection reimagines the brand's past, revisiting signature and iconic silhouettes through a full diaspora of color while planting seeds for what's next. Inspired by the 1978 film The Wiz, Bloom becomes a journey through Oz: from Dorothy to the Munchkins to the Poppies. Each character is represented through a distinct color palette, bursting into bold volumes, layered textures, and transformative silhouettes that demand presence and occupy space.
QUOTE: "NYMD has given me the opportunity to present in front of industry professionals and be presented on the calendar. This season is super special following my run on "Project Runway" to have the notoriety, visibility to buyers, press, and influencers."