Unique Fashion Show Brings International Design, Art and Sustainability to New York

Unique Fashion Show New York 2026 will take place on September 13 at the historic Park Avenue Christian Church, 1010 Park Avenue, Manhattan, bringing together international fashion, business, technology, art, sustainability, education, and cultural exchange during New York Fashion Week.

Presented by the Unique Fashion Foundation Association (France), the event is expected to welcome more than 600 guests, including designers, buyers, retailers, investors, media representatives, diplomats, educators, artists, technology leaders, content creators, models, and fashion industry professionals.

The program will feature runway presentations by nine international designers, a B2B and B2C designer showroom, sustainability discussions, an international sustainable fashion contest, digital and visual art experiences, live performances, art and photography exhibitions, and professional networking.

Following nine successful editions across Europe and the United States, Unique Fashion Show continues its international expansion by positioning New York as a strategic meeting point connecting North America, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Latin America.

“Unique Fashion Show was created to give designers and creative professionals more than a moment on the runway,” said Gita Dzhavid, founder of Unique Fashion Show and the Unique Fashion Foundation Association. “Our goal is to build long-term connections among fashion, education, technology, culture, media, and international business. In New York, we are bringing these communities together so that creative talent can be seen, supported, and connected with real global opportunities.”

Nine international designers on one New York stage

A curated selection of nine designers from the United States, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and other international markets will present collections reflecting contemporary creativity, craftsmanship, innovation, and cultural identity.

Announced participants include:

THE AUDACE PARIS — France

Founded by designer Sarah Khorchid El Kerdi, THE AUDACE PARIS is a French luxury lingerie house combining couture craftsmanship with a jewelry-inspired approach. Made in France using silk, lace, and refined construction, the brand presents a contemporary vision of feminine luxury centered on confidence and individuality.

Volskaya Atelier — Kazakhstan

Founded in 2017, Volskaya Atelier is internationally recognized for its contemporary design and craftsmanship, including a UNESCO award received in Paris in 2023. In New York, the brand will present a collection dedicated to teenagers and inspired by freedom, authenticity, confidence, and self-expression.

Lady Suits by Emmely Roloff — Germany

Lady Suits redefines women’s tailoring through architectural precision, technical innovation, and sustainable craftsmanship. Inspired by geometry, architecture, and modern sculpture, its designs combine sculptural silhouettes and clean construction with comfort and functionality.

TURSUNKULOV — Kazakhstan

Founded by designer Timur Tursunkulov, the brand brings Kazakh cultural heritage into contemporary haute couture. Traditional ornamentation and craftsmanship are reinterpreted through modern silhouettes, luxurious materials, and refined tailoring.

ARA Art and Design Studio — United States

Founded by Sanaz Masoumi, ARA combines textile artistry, sculptural design, and cultural storytelling. Its work brings traditional craftsmanship, experimental textiles, and nature-inspired elements into a contemporary design language.

Tensengral

Bringing invention, manufacturing, and design together, Tensengral uses century-old circular lace-making machinery to create responsive fabrics from original patterns of linked and interlaced yarns. Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s principle of tensegrity, the brand’s Textile Tensegrity process produces garments—often from a single piece—with little to no material waste.

Raushan Anuarbekova — Kazakhstan

Raushan Anuarbekova is the creator of the national cultural project “Kazakh Grandmothers Who Amazed the World.” Her collections reinterpret traditional Kazakh clothing and celebrate the Kazakh grandmother as a symbol of elegance, wisdom, dignity, and timeless grace.

Mahin Olimzoda, presented by Tajikistan Fashion Week — Tajikistan

Presented through Tajikistan Fashion Week, founded by Tokhir Ibragimov, Mahin Olimzoda will bring Tajik cultural heritage to the New York runway through a contemporary design vision.

The complete nine-designer lineup and individual collection information will be available in the official event program and media kit.

Ariane Santos / Badu Design — Brazil

Brazilian designer and TEDx speaker Ariane Santos is the founder of Badu Design, a Curitiba-based socio-environmental business that transforms industrial textile waste and discarded automotive seatbelts into sustainable fashion accessories. Her circular design methodology has also trained more than 4,000 women across Brazil.

Fashion designed to create business opportunities

The Unique Fashion Show B2B and B2C Showroom will connect participating designers directly with buyers, retailers, investors, media representatives, fashion professionals, and consumers.

The showroom is designed to transform runway visibility into practical commercial opportunities, including sales, international representation, retail introductions, media exposure, partnerships, and professional networking.

This business-focused component reflects the wider mission of Unique Fashion Show: to support designers before, during, and after their runway presentations.

Sustainability, education, and responsible design

Sustainability will be a central part of the New York program. Designers, educators, innovators, and industry leaders will discuss material innovation, circular fashion, responsible production, professional education, digital transformation, and practical solutions for independent brands.

Announced speakers include:

• Dr. Karen R. Pearson, professor of Chemistry and chair of the Sustainability Council at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
• Britta Cabanos, founder of Inside Fashion Design, who brings 30 years of professional experience with companies including Nike, Oakley, Tommy Hilfiger, and DKNY.
• Bridgett Artise, founder of Sustainable Fashion Week US and Born Again Vintage, and a recognized advocate for upcycling and circular fashion.

In collaboration with Sustainable Fashion Week US and Inside Fashion Design, the Unique Fashion Foundation Association will also present the second edition of its international Sustainable Fashion Contest.

The competition is dedicated to discovering and promoting designers helping to shape the future of responsible fashion. Selected finalists will receive international exposure through the Unique Fashion Show platform and opportunities to connect with buyers, media, educators, and global industry professionals.

Fashion meets technology and visual art

The Innovation and Art Experience will explore the relationship between fashion, artificial intelligence, digital creativity, visual art, and interactive installation.

Through immersive and multidisciplinary presentations, the experience will demonstrate how emerging technologies are influencing creative development, communication, production, presentation, and audience engagement across the fashion industry.

The event will also feature a live art performance by Los Angeles–based artist Robert Vargas.

An accompanying exhibition will present the work of contemporary figurative artist Lilit Gevorgyan, whose practice explores hope, dignity, compassion, movement, nature, and renewal. Exhibited across Europe and Asia since 2004, Gevorgyan is also the founder of Art Li Gallery, an international contemporary art gallery.

Afghan artist and photographer Fatimah Hossaini will present The Beauty Amid War, a photographic series celebrating the heritage, identity, beauty, and resilience of Afghan women. Featuring women from diverse Afghan communities in traditional dress, the exhibition challenges narratives of victimhood and presents its subjects as symbols of dignity, strength, individuality, and hope.

Special performance by New York City Opera

Unique Fashion Show New York 2026 will feature a special artistic performance presented by New York City Opera, creating a dialogue between classical performing arts and contemporary fashion. A special performance presented by New York City Opera will connect classical music with contemporary fashion. Featured artists include internationally acclaimed harpist and Juilliard graduate Alisa Sadikova, who has performed in more than 25 countries, and Armenian-American soprano Tatev Baroyan, whose credits include the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Salzburger Landestheater, and Bregenzer Festspiele.

The wider program will include runway presentations, live performances, DJ sets, media interviews, and international networking.

The wider event experience will include international runway presentations, designer showcases, live performances, DJ sets, media interviews, professional networking, VIP guests, photographers, content creators, and interactive cultural programming.

International awards

The official program will include the ART E$TATE Magazine International Awards Ceremony, recognizing achievements in fashion, art, creativity, innovation, and cultural contribution.

The Unique Fashion Show International Model Awards will also celebrate professional models and recognize talent, excellence, and international achievement within the fashion industry.

An international network for the creative industries

Unique Fashion Show operates at the intersection of:

• Fashion and craftsmanship
• Sustainability and social impact
• Technology and digital innovation
• Art and cultural expression
• Education and professional development
• International business
• Cultural diplomacy

The platform works with fashion weeks, educational organizations, creative institutions, media organizations, model agencies, beauty professionals, cultural platforms, and industry networks across Europe, North America, Africa, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

International partners and participating organizations include the Fashion Institute of Technology, Sustainable Fashion Week US, Inside Fashion Design, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Azerbaijan, Luxembourg Fashion Week, Albania Fashion Week, Albania International Fashion Federation, Maison de l’Afrique, World Designers Fashion Week Kazakhstan, RunwayTO, Orange Models, Latina Glam Makeup Community, and Roman K Premium Hair Salon.

International media partners include FashionUnited, Iconic TV, Paris Runway Official, France Fashion, D Fashion Magazine, ART E$TATE Magazine, MediaKind, Empire Magazine Africa, Le Afrique Style Brazil, and Fact Nama.

Iconic TV is an international media platform celebrating fashion, culture, creativity, and influential voices through exclusive interviews, original programming, and content connecting talent and leading personalities across fashion, luxury, entertainment, and culture.

Unique Fashion Show has previously received international media coverage from fashion and lifestyle publications including Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia, L’Officiel, Vogue, and FashionUnited.

Building connections beyond Fashion Week

Founded by Gita Dzhavid, the Unique Fashion Foundation Association develops international opportunities for designers, artists, educators, creative entrepreneurs, technology innovators, cultural organizations, and media professionals.

Its international platform is presented during major fashion and cultural periods in New York, Milan, Paris, and Cannes, connecting emerging and established talent with new audiences, markets, institutions, and collaborators.

The New York edition reinforces the organization’s mission to use fashion as a catalyst for international cooperation. More than a runway event, Unique Fashion Show is a meeting place where designers gain visibility, professional relationships are established, cultures connect, and new creative and commercial opportunities begin.

Event information

Unique Fashion Show New York 2026
Date: September 13, 2026
Venue: Park Avenue Christian Church
Address: 1010 Park Avenue at East 85th Street, Manhattan, New York