Chanel, one of the most luxurious fashion brands, returned to New York City to unveil its Chanel Metiers d’art 2026 collection underground in a subway station. The show, held at the abandoned 168 Bowery station, may have been a lot less glamorous than a Parisian fashion show, but let’s be honest, the fashion crowd loves a moment.
In the 1970s, WWD would become one of the first publications to make a point of capturing the urban beauty, decay and decadence of the city in its “They Are Wearing” and “Best of New York” fashion advances. The subway, though not always everyone’s dream chariot, served as a literal and metaphorical source of inspiration for everyday life in New York.
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two women in a subway station
Popular culture has also enshrined the NYC subway in films, Broadway shows and music videos through the years. The daily’s “Eye” page captured the 1975 premiere party for the movie “Tommy” at the 57th Street/6th Avenue station with a guest list that included Ann-Margret, Tina Turner and Elton John. While pop culture moments in music videos such as Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” directed by Martin Scorsese in 1986, filmed inside Brooklyn’s Hoyt-Schermerhorn station, illuminate the city and the subway’s urban splendor.
Tina Turner (L) and Ann-Margret attend the New York premiere of “Tommy” at the 57th St./6th Ave. subway station in New York City on March 18, 1975.
Memorable highlights from the WWD archives include designer Chester Weinberg’s fall 1968 collection photographed on the N train headed for Queens, and Calvin Klein’s spring 1974 collection at the 42nd Street/Times Square station. Decades later, Jeremy Scott paid homage to New York in a b-boy inspired collection for Moschino pre-fall 2020. The show took place at the New York City Transit Museum. That same year, Tom Ford made his return to New York fashion week, holding his spring 2020 runway show at the vacant Delancey Street/Bowery station. The show, packed with a celebrity crowd, celebrated his nostalgia for the city’s nightlife scene, complete with neon lights and real MTA police, the perfect visual for those familiar with the hustle and bustle of the city.
Moschino pre-fall 2019 Chester Weinberg, fall 1968 Tom Ford, Spring 2020
Chanel’s return in 2025, with its newest ambassador A$AP Rocky — hailing from Harlem — is the perfect promo and reminder that New York City and the subway are still the ultimate backdrop for creating a mega fashion moment.
Launch Gallery: From the Archive: Iconic Fashion and Pop Culture Moments on the New York City Subway
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