If you’re eagerly anticipating a peek at the latest collection from Off-White, founded by the late Virgil Abloh, or the newest crop of up-and-coming designers, New York City’s spring-summer 2025 Fashion Week (September 6 to 11) is a must. Like every year, tickets to the runway shows are notoriously scarce, unless you receive a personal invitation from a designer or work in the industry. For everyone else, the best way to see the shows is to watch the New York Fashion Week live stream.
Those who consider themselves stylish but are more interested in ogling the celebrities seated in the front row rather than the models on the runway are in luck. During NYFW, some of these stars and many of those gracing the catwalk eat, drink and sleep in the same spots. And it’s for that very reason that we’ve designed an insider’s guide for those who want to experience the electrifying week but don’t have Gigi Hadid’s personal number to ask for tickets.
WHERE TO STAY
For a VIP NYFW experience, stay at Baccarat Hotel New York
Immerse yourself in luxury with this Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel’s NYFW Voyage package. With the hotel’s signature Baccarat crystal chandeliers in the lobby and the Manhattan-inspired welcome amenity in your room, you’re assured a stylish arrival. The package also ensures you’ll look runway-ready after Spa de La Mer’s (the luxury skincare brand of choice for Beyoncé and Chrissy Teigen) 30-minute express Baccarat facial and eye enhancement that’s followed by a 30-minute express jet-lag massage. After your complimentary breakfast for two, step out onto West 53rd Street for some celebrity spotting and window shopping.
To be close to the heart of the action, check into Pendry Manhattan West
This sleek Four-Star hotel sits less than a 15-minute walk from NYFW’s official venue, the Starrett-Lehigh Building. The proximity ensures spillover, so keep your eyes peeled for anyone carrying an armful of garment bags or shutterbugs feverishly clicking their cameras. The Pendry has become a Fashion Week favorite for editors, designers and celebrities homesick for the West Coast thanks to the property’s Cali-cool vibe. Make sure not to miss the moody Bar Pendry, a perfect spot for overhearing any post-show gossip.
WHERE TO GO
This understated, certifiably cool restaurant pays close attention to every detail. The staff wears custom uniforms by Bode, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining inspired the bar, and the menu is dedicated to Hokkaido regional specialties. The 2020-opened spot has quickly become a staple of the downtown fashion scene, particularly on nights when the Chinatown restaurant busts out its karaoke machine.
The Paris import inside Four-Star The Mark hotel opened in 2023 and quickly became an A-list favorite for decadent dishes like the twice-baked potato topped with caviar. It’s one of the restaurants involved in NYFW: The Menu, a partnership between NYFW and select eateries for a fusion of cuisine and fashion through a limited, specially curated menu. If you make a reservation at an NYFW: The Menu restaurant, you also can win tickets to a Fashion Week show and a VIP shopping experience.
For those in the know, this swanky SoHo bar has become the unofficial host of NYFW’s annual kickoff party, with fashion retailer Mytheresa hosting a soiree here for the past two years. The bar’s notoriously dim lighting encourages anonymity, so you never know whom you might be sitting next to. Temple Bar also is part of NYFW: The Menu.
Try your luck at this 1980s-themed establishment that Joe Jonas considers one of his favorite New York City hangouts. Last season, the Casino hosted a dinner celebrating designer Violet Getty’s debut collection.
While we don’t know what surprises are in store this year, we’re sure that, once you’re done with your ricotta ravioli, you’ll want to complete your evening with drinks just a stone’s throw away at Le Dive, Parcelle or Clandestino, where you can mingle with off-duty models and witness one of the city’s best street-style scenes.
Fashion world darlings Cara Delevingne, Anne Hathaway and Sienna Miller have all been spotted at this NoHo spot in the former Acme space. On any night, the plush piano bar draws a cool crowd with guests encouraged to dress to the nines, so signs are encouraging that a few familiar faces will stop by during NYFW, too.
Designer Eckhaus Latta celebrated last season’s show at this eatery on Lafayette Street. The clubby, two-story restaurant knows that its guests are here to be seen and be seen — especially the downstairs cocktail bar. But don’t take our word for it; just look at Jean’s Instagram account’s “Fits” highlight for all the sartorial inspiration you’ll need for a night on the town. Another reason to visit: Jean’s is participating in NYFW: The Menu.
Keith McNally’s institution has been a longtime staple for celebrity diners in SoHo. Ralph Fiennes, Eddie Redmayne and Natalie Portman have all dined on the other side of the restaurant’s iconic red awnings. In fact, so many stars have come through the doors that Balthazar has reportedly instituted a rating system for its clients based on their level of fame and past behavior in the establishment. Of course, Fashion Week icon Anna Wintour is one of the few guests to have received the restaurant’s coveted triple-A rating.
Actors Justin Theroux and Nicholas Braun (Succession‘s Cousin Greg) own this upscale dive bar on the Lower East Side that attracts a hot Hollywood set. Dave Chappelle, Zoë Kravitz and Dua Lipa have been spotted mingling beneath the bar’s disco ball.
But the real action happens downstairs in the speakeasy bar, which is a replica of an ’80’s suburban basement with shag carpet walls, a static-screen television and interesting concoctions like the Ray Liotta (Miller High Life, Aperol and lemon).
