Where The Cool Kids Partied All Night (And Every Night) During NYFW

The recently wrapped New York Fashion Week proved why the city has a reputation for never sleeping. But I’m not referring to the jam-packed calendar of runway shows debuting spring/summer 2026 collections. I’m talking about the nightly parties, from swanky soirées with champagne-spilling socialites and untouched deconstructed hors d’oeuvres to ragers where Bushwick-obsessed club kids lose themselves on vodka-soaked dance floors alongside off-duty models. This season, there was something for everyone lucky enough to be on the list.

The Guest List And The Party Outside

The real thrill begins before even gaining entry. Picture lines of designer-clad attendees weaving past mountains of trash bags spilling into the street, iPad-clutching publicists in head-to-toe black stationed at the entrance and the dizzying pop of flashbulbs whenever a celebrity, flanked by bodyguards, is swept inside. Wait long enough, and you might see what happens when a TikToker is told they are not on the list. Just be sure to have your iPhone ready, and thank me later

If you took a social media break on Wednesday, September 10th, you might have missed Valentino Beauty reviving Studio 54 for a one-night-only bougie boogie. Inside, disco hits and a Cher appearance mesmerized sequined attendees. Outside, dolled-up scenesters swarmed the barricades under the glow of the discotheque’s instantly recognizable marquee, lighting up Instagram stories for twenty-four hours.

VIP Dinners: Diet Prada’s Delectable Tenth Anniversary

While celebrity-studded extravaganzas dominate headlines and feeds, the more offbeat affairs reveal what NYFW is truly about. Earlier Wednesday night, a head-turning handful of tastemakers—including powder-pink-haired editors, stylists, internet personalities and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Aquaria, who rocked a bleached-blond hair-and-brow combo—had already trekked uptown for the Diet Prada tenth-anniversary dinner. For those not among Diet Prada’s three million-plus Instagram followers, the account is known for calling out the fashion world and delivering unfiltered takes.

The intimate dinner took place in The Times Square EDITION’s jewel-toned, sophisticated 11th-floor hideaway. In attendance were the two creators behind the account, Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler, whose Ginger Spice-hued curls added a vibrant pop of color to the moodily lit space. When asked to name some stand-out Diet Prada moments over the decade, Schuyler recalled, “Posts that snowballed into industry-wide action, whether it was calling out design knockoffs, predatory photographers or designers. Even the importance of publications correctly identifying people, which you would hope would not even need to be said at this point. We have had a lot of labels thrown at us, but I think we also helped a lot of people be able to speak up and hold those in power accountable.”

As for what makes the perfect NYFW party? “Good gossip!” Mission majorly accomplished: Throughout the evening, guests mingled at the bar over tipples before taking their seats around a calla lily and candle-sprinkled table in the dining room, replete with a terrace overlooking hypnotic neon signs and colossal billboards. The vibes were lush; the overheard debates (“Tate McRae or Addison Rae?”) were lively. Gift bags with fragrances from Bella Hadid’s Orabella line awaited each guest on exit, and suddenly I knew what I was getting my mom for Christmas. It was also a chic reminder that the night—make that week—was just getting started.

Basement Bashes: ‘Office Magazine’ Brings Y2K Glam To Glitzy Crane Club

Judging by this season’s slew of magazine parties, print is far from dead. At West Chelsea’s typically ritzy Crane Club on Thursday, Office Magazine hosted a basement bash where the scene resembled a Charli XCX Y2K–themed music video casting call: teeny-tiny metal tops, lingerie-forward numbers, distressed trucker hats, tattered bodysuits tucked into baggy pants, all shimmering under a gigantic disco ball. DJs including Memphy and Lord Fascinator served up spicy sets to a crowd of impossibly hip creatives—plus Machine Gun Kelly and Landon Barker.

Dressed To The Nines: ‘Numéro New York’ Makes Its Swanky Debut

That same night in NoHo, The Nines toasted the launch of Numéro New York, the American debut of the French magazine. The devilishly opulent piano bar–supper club provided a picture-perfect backdrop for guests like Taylor Hill, Alton Mason, Lila Moss and Coco Rocha, all naturally dressed to the nines. At the exit, a candlelit table stacked with magazines sat beside a three-tiered tray of Marlboro Lights and Numéro-branded matches, accented by a no-smoking sign. Outside, the cobblestoned street turned into its own runway, cigarette smoke curling upward like plumes of steam from a Manhattan manhole, fashionistas lingering as if this were the only place to be.

Late-Night Rager: Slurping Noodles With Lu’u Dan’s Cool Kids

Friday night offered endless opportunities to enjoy open bars and rub elbows with the fashionable crowd. Still, the undeniable magnet for the cool kids was downtown at Wu’s Wonton King for Lu’u Dan’s “Slurp Noodles” late-night rager. Launched in 2021 and named after the Vietnamese slang for “dangerous man,” the bold brand transformed the locals’ favorite joint into a red-light-soaked drinking den crammed with heavily pierced and tattooed attendees including Evan Mock. Unmissable Lu’u Dan looks were on full display, with founder and creative director Hung La rocking a killer floor-length leather trench. DJs Crush Sahara and Miss Parker blasted trance-inducing sets as partygoers slurped Wu’s wonton soup and gripped wads of Lu’u Dan–stamped pseudo cash to try their luck at what La dubbed “sheisty Asian games,” with winnings traded for Lu’u Dan goodies, including a one-of-a-kind hand-painted Noodle King leather jacket.

“‘Slurp Noodles’ was never about throwing a party—it was about staging a takeover,” said La. “Our events channel the parties my parents threw when I was a kid: endless food, off-key karaoke, mahjong tiles clacking, cash on the table—warped into the sleazy villain energy of Lu’u Dan. At Wu’s Wonton King, an OG Chinatown spot, we served it up Fashion Week-style in a way only we can: legendary wonton and lobster noodles, gangster photos on the walls, bass shaking the floor. It is sheisty Asians serving up noodles, liquor flowing nonstop and fun that feels a little dangerous.” Pushing through the motley crew of intimidatingly stylish partygoers outside the entrance, who had flooded the corner of East Broadway and Rutgers, was a visceral sign of all of the above. Meanwhile, all signs pointed to me being uncool as I called it a night before 1 a.m.

Booming Bangers: Partying In The Sky With Demi Lovato, ‘Paper Magazine’ And Bravolebrities

There weren’t any Monday blues in sight at the Paper Magazine-hosted blowout presented by Outcast Clothing. Instead, an eclectic guest list of NYFW front-row regulars, downtown nightlife fixtures and a few reality television stars (including The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Meredith Marks and The Traitors’ Gabby Windey) partied the night away at Boom, the glittering 18th-floor boîte crowning the eternally buzzy The Standard, High Line. Guests flocked to the gilded bar, where specialty cocktails and champagne flowed freely. After midnight, a sea of iPhones lit up as Paper’s newest cover star Demi Lovato appeared, sunglasses on, before the DJ booth and treated enthralled onlookers to songs from her forthcoming album. Camera flashes burst against the walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, framing Blade Runner–esque vistas of the flickering skyline, a winking reminder that New York City is always wide awake.