This is What You Missed Last Month (According To Linux), in which nightlife it-girl Linux takes us behind the velvet rope and into the VIP section of Scene-City. Through her extreme (sometimes exaggerated) lens, Linux gives us the tea on what really happened at every party-of-the-century that floods our Instagram feeds. (A note from the author: don’t take what she says too seriously — she’s just a club kid after all).
New York muthafucking Fashion Week. Yes, the "muthafucking" was absolutely necessary. A moment in time when New York becomes Hollywood, the bourgeoisie dabble in derelict and the term "guest list" becomes interchangeable with "A-List." From the outside looking in, one could quickly conclude that NYFW is nothing more than vapid people wearing expensive clothes, stroking their even more expensive egos. But a deeper look at all the madness reveals a fashion-torn-war-zone of anxious designers, bitchy PR girls, hungover magazine editors and desperate-to-make-it supermodels.
In the six months leading up to September, each New York fashion house works tirelessly, preparing to present their newest ideas on the make-it-or-break-it world stage. One could argue that Fashion Week is all about just that: the fashion. But once that 15-minute show is over and the last model walks off the catwalk, where does all that energy go? There’s only one thing left for the industry’s overworked, underpaid and overdressed to do: party.
This Fashion Week in particular, the city partied its ready-to-wear ass off. To the untrained socialite, a bender like this is deemed impossible. For someone like me, Linux, the New York downtown it-girl, it’s a holiday I wouldn’t dare miss a second of. Year round, I throw and attend the hottest parties in New York City and this NYFW I, too, worked overtime: crashing hundreds of events in the past week all so I can be able to tell you, my dear readers, what happened at each and every one of them.
So, without further ado, get comfortable, pour yourself a glass of champagne and come along with me as I spill all the tea on what may have been the wildest party-filled Fashion Week in New York history. Side quest: if you drink every time I say fashion, you’ll be completely sloshed by the end of this column.
September 6: The Jeffries Five-Year Anniversary at American Bar
Five years ago, Kendall Werts left the traditional agency they worked at and took the leap of faith toward owning his own. Blood, tears and stunts later, The Jeffries was born. To blame for red carpet queens like Evan Mock and Julia Fox, The Jeffries has become the agency to watch. On the eve of Fashion Week, Kendall celebrated five successful years of The Jeffries at American Bar in Greenwich. Just outside the party, Ivy Getty and Greg K shared a cigarette while being photographed by street style photographers. Inside, the entire cast of Gossip Girl drank martini’s while Evan Mock DJ’d music just low enough so that guests could talk plenty of shit to one another. Julia Fox, arguably the momentright now, fashionably slithered through the party alongside bestie Richie Shazam, gracefully saying hello to everyone who approached her. Bottles of fresh Belvedere decorated every table in the venue and continued to be replenished once an entourage of C-lebrities drained them. The party ended at 1 AM, for good reason, as the week’s festivities had only just begun.
September 7: Christian Siriano Afterparty at Paradise Club
Photo via Getty
After his show at Elizabeth Taylor's Upper East Side Townhouse, Project-Runway-winner-turned-NYFW-legend Christian Siriano shoved everyone into their designated SUV’s to be driven 15 blocks downtown for his Spring 2023 after party at the notable Paradise Club, in Moxy Times Square. To no one’s surprise, Ty Sunderland DJ’d as the who’s who of the industry slugged back their vodka martinis. Around 10 PM, Sunderland spun a Janet Jackson song on the decks and in that very moment Christian Siriano and his 20-icon entourage pumped through the dance floor towards the roped off VIP part of the club. Included in the squad was none other than the Janet Jackson herself, surrounded by three six-foot tall security guards. Janet mingled with mere mortals on the floor for a brief second before plopping down at the very corner of her VIP booth. Even with an iron curtain of people around her, one could still see the height of her hair bouncing up and down as she danced to her own songs. If one was overwhelmed from all the hard partying, they could step outside onto the club’s terrace to smoke a cigarette in the heart of Times Square among a few supermodels who had walked the show earlier in the evening. The party went until 12:30 AM, with Christian Siriano himself being one of the last ones dancing till the very end, basking in the success of yet another brilliant collection.
September 8: David LaChapelle "Make Believe" Show at Fotografiska and Afterparty at Soho Grand Hotel
Photo via BFA/Rommel Demano
In the height of Fashion Week, renowned photographer David LaChapelle held the opening of his largest-ever US solo show at Fotografiska in Chelsea. Spanning three stories, the show exhibits David's decades-old collection of work, as well as new and never-before-seen pieces. His muses, Amanda Lepore, Susanne Bartsch and Daphne Guinness, were in attendance, as well as prominent New York party-people of yesterday and tomorrow. The event drew in so much chaos that the entire city block became filled. After the opening, scenesters and it-people ran to the Soho Grand Hotel, where Susanne and David hosted the official afterparty, which went on until 2 AM. David LaChapelle’s exhibition, "Make Believe," can be seen at Fotografiska through December 21.
September 8: Opening Ceremony OC20 at Schimanksi
Photo via BFA/Sansho Scott
Opening Ceremony brought all the Fashion Week Girlies to an old Brooklyn favorite, Schimanksi, for their 20th anniversary party. All the legends were there to play a role in creating night’s vibe: Todd Terry, Nita Aviance, Kevin Aviance, Mazurbate, Papi Juice, JD Samson and Bubble_T to name a few. There was tons of celebrity hosts to match, like icons Chloë Sevigny, Bowen Yang and Luar. TikTok’s mother-of-dolls Hal Baddie was also there, running around with her iconic selfie stick. In addition to celebrating two decades of the brand, they were also showcasing their newest collaboration with Ugg (I snagged myself a pair, they are so comfy). It was way too easy to scam myself a VIP bracelet from the PR Girlies in charge, and once I did I had access to the open bar behind the DJ booth. The night was so good, I didn’t want it to end and I’m already counting down the years until the 30th Anniversary party in 2032!
September 10: Susanne Bartsch Fashion Show at Sony Hall and Afterparty at Musica
For a second season in a row, New York nightlife maker Susanne Bartsch showed off the designs of her newest artistic endeavor with Phil Gomez: Bartschland Capsule Collection. At a favorite venue of Susanne’s, Sony Hall, the party-producer-turned-fashion-designer sent her nightlife children down the catwalk in head-to-toe looks emblazoned with her iconic nightlife flyers and one-liners. After the show, containing 40 looks and multiple performances, received a minute-long standing ovation, Susanne and Ty Sunderland collaborated on an afterparty taking place just three avenues over at Musica. One could spend the night being blinded by the flashing lights of BFA photographers and hearing cunty fashion-party sounds from Berlin DJ Tom Peters. The night gave reminder to the well-known fact that Susanne is a woman of many talents and left us all asking, “Is there anything Susanne Bartsch can’t do?”
September 12: Vogue World x Coach at Boom Boom Room
At 2 PM on Monday, Coach invited countless celebrities to view their Spring 2023 show at Park Avenue Armory. I was seated front row among Fashion Week’s finest: Charli XCX, Benito Skinner, Ava Max, Doja Cat, Aquaria and Susanne Bartsch, to name a few. Across from me sat the one and only Anna Wintour, who I watched assess each and every look that came down the runway with a non-bias expertise that a shady bitch like myself could only dream of. Lil Nas X closed the show in a pair of transparent jelly sandals. After Coach, we all changed backstage and ran to meatpacking to see the Vogue World show, where more than 130 looks were sent down New York City cobblestone streets to celebrate 130 years of Vogue. Bella Hadid, Kanye West and countless other A-listers all being on the same block as me was like something out of a fashion-fever dream.
To celebrate the success of two incredible NYFW moments, Vogue World and Coach teamed up to throw the afterparty of all afterparties at Boom Boom Room, just around the corner. As the party started, so did a thunderstorm, which could be seen from all angles of the party through the club’s wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows. Everyone knows the VIP of Boom Boom Room is by the booths next to the grand piano, so once I got there I pumped it straight there and grabbed myself the perfect seat for star-watching. Before I could say “Vogue World” I was surrounded by Doja Cat, Coi Leray, Lil Nas X and Ava Max. Together we partied as Mazurbate DJ’d, safe from the lightening storm happening just outside the club. After the party ended at 2 AM, we hopped in a Limousine to a party Kanye West was throwing at Zero Bond. I’d tell you what happened next, but I’d love to not be banned from a members-only club.
For those who couldn’t get into Kanye West's party at Zero Bond, a similarly named club, The Blond, called guests leaving the Vogue party’s names. LaQuan Smith threw his official afterparty at the bougie downtown lounge, and girrrrrrl it was definitely a LaQuan Smith party. Thanks to being with my *unnamed famous friends* we got let right in to avoid a sidewalk mob from forming around us. We had just missed Madonna and Becky G, who left a few seconds before our arrival. Diplo was DJ’ing because, why wouldn’t he be? After I did a round of tequila shots with Winnie Harlow at the bar, the music stopped and Diplo took the microphone and introduced Jamaican singer Spice. The queen of the dancehall performed her many songs, ending the show singing, literally, upside down.
September 13: Christian Cowan Show and Afterparty at 100 Vandam
Photo via BFA/Jason Sean Weiss
NYFW it-boy Christian Cowan has been making mouths water for his ultra-fabulous fashion shows for many seasons now. He routinely makes use of sequins, color-blocking and ostrich feathers, and his designs can consistently be seen on A-List female powerhouses and Real Housewives alike. What stuck out particularly in his Spring 2023 collection, which took place in the parking garage of 100 Vandam, was a youthful sense of risk-taking, mixing all sorts of patterns and textures in each look. The move paid off. Scanning the room as each model came out, I could see the likes of Christine Quinn, Saucy Santana, Gigi Gorgeous, James Charles, Meredith Marks, and many others gagging over just how good the clothes were. After what was, without a doubt, a home-run of a fashion show, we all took the elevator to the 20th floor penthouse, where Christian Cowan threw an ultra-glamourous (and ultra-expensive) afterparty hosted by Susanne Bartsch. Guests drank free tequila and took pictures with an ice sculpture of a platform Croc. We partied all night on the 20th story terrace in the heart of downtown New York until it was time to head home, get some rest and do it all over again in the morning.
After seven beautiful collections, New York-based designer Jackson Wiederhoeft presented his first-ever runway show in a gymnasium at St. Patrick’s Youth Center. In the designers own words, the runway show examined childlike joy and naive creativity. In almost 30 looks, which involved it-kid models Teddy Quinlivan, Fernando Casablancas and Aquaria, to name a few, as well as a multi-person choreographed performance, the Wiederhoeft fashion house without a doubt cemented themselves as a now-integral part of NYFW. The show ended with a standing ovation that lasted well over three minutes.
September 14: The Blonds Fashion Show and Afterparty
All the legends know, there’s no show like a Blonds show. Phillipe and David Blond invited New York’s most cunty to Spring Studios for their Spring 2023 show, and this season was definitely dedicated to the dolls. Besides myself, front row consisted of Amrezy (whose newest makeup collection with PrettyLittleThing sponsored the show’s makeup), Amanda Lepore, Daphne Guinness, CT Hedden, Munroe Bergdorf, Ashley Longshore, Susanne Bartsch and more. Trans icons Gigi Gorgeous and new-New Yorker Nikita Dragun dominated the runway alongside Coi Leray and Cassie. After the models came out, Saucy Santana took to the runway and performed over 10 minutes of hits. The show ended with fashion’s favorite couple, Phillipe and David, doing their iconic finale kiss. After we all said hello to the designers and celebrity models backstage, everyone ran uptown to the official after party at Magic Hour, which was just as fierce. So fierce in fact, that I remember absolutely nothing.
September 14: Maison Blanche Show and Afterparty
Just three blocks from Spring Studios, an alleyway in Chinatown was boarded off for what was probably the freshest show of NYFW. Amazon’s Making the Cut winner Yannik Zamboni showed off his Spring 2023 collection for Maison Blanche to the edgiest kids in the scene with blaring techno music. The show opened with rave-regular and newly signed Jeffries’ Jonah Almost, and incorporated a newness that all of New York needed to see. Memphy, also dressed in the brand, DJ’d the show front and center. The clothes were the perfect all-white-if-white-was-allowed-at-Berghain strappy uniform that fans of Zamboni have come to love from the designer. After the show, the afterparty took place at trendy dive bar Berlin-Under-A in alphabet city. The likes of Goth Jafar DJ’d, Meg Superstar Princess hosted and Jack Powers performed. All the known nightlife kids were in attendance, and the evening was the final piece to the NYFW puzzle that reinforced the notion that it's not the rich people in tall castles that create the fashion of New York, but rather the nomadic cool kids, who on a nightly basis dress for the frontlines of clubland.
Photography and styling: Airik Prince
Art direction: Chris Correa
Fashion: Balenciaga, Airik Prince Studio and Smiley Goods