{"id":271013,"date":"2026-06-18T16:49:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/271013\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:49:11","slug":"brooklyns-people-runway-returns-for-2026-seeking-next-generation-of-fashion-talent-brooklyn-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/271013\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooklyn\u2019s \u2018People Runway\u2019 returns for 2026, seeking next generation of fashion talent \u2022 Brooklyn Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the second year in a row, Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza will be transformed into a catwalk this September for the 2026 \u201cPeople\u2019s Runway\u201d fashion show.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The event builds on the resounding success of the first-ever show <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooklynpaper.com\/bk-designers-take-nyfw-the-peoples-runway\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">in 2025<\/a>, when five Brooklyn designers took center stage to showcase their couture in front of over 1,000 fashionistas, including major stars such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ne-Yo, and Busta Rhymes.<\/p>\n<p>On June 15, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane launched an open call, inviting up-and-coming Brooklyn fashion designers to submit their designs for a chance to showcase their collections at the full-service 2026 People\u2019s Runway fashion show.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-244447\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ThePeoplesRunway_091425-10.jpg.webp\" alt=\"busta rhymes at fashion show\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\"  \/>Busta Rhymes (center) attends \u201cThe People\u2019s Runway\u201d fashion show in 2025 with his sons T\u2019ziah Wood-Smith and Trilian Wood-Smith. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n<p>Last year\u2019s event, which was part of New York Fashion Week and garnered international attention, provided an unparalleled platform to kickstart the careers of Brooklyn\u2019s most promising designers, including winners Kent Anthony, Shriya Myneni, Rojin Jung, Ahmril Lorraine, and Daveed Baptiste.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Reynoso said that the interest in \u201cThe People\u2019s Runway\u201d in 2025 proved that Brooklynites yearned for real investments in Brooklyn\u2019s creative community.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u201cFor the second year in a row, I am proud to partner with Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane to showcase and empower Brooklyn\u2019s emerging fashion designers,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you are an upcoming designer making a splash in Brooklyn\u2019s fashion scene, this application is for you! I\u2019m so grateful for Colm\u2019s partnership once again as we provide a life-changing opportunity to five Brooklynites who just need a boost to get their foot through the doors and kickstart the next chapter of their careers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-244455\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ThePeoplesRunway_091425-39.jpg.webp\" alt=\"person on runway at fashion show\" width=\"700\" height=\"560\"  \/>Designer Daveed Baptiste presented his fashion line \u2018Soaring High\u2019 at the first-ever \u201cPeople\u2019s Runway\u201d in 2025. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n<p>Colm Dillane, the creative force behind KidSuper, a borough-based brand known for its clothing, art, and community-focused approach, and Brooklyn\u2019s first-ever arts ambassador, got his start in fashion just a few blocks from Brooklyn Borough Hall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so special to come back years later to give emerging designers the opportunity to take their career to the next level. There\u2019s so much talent here in Brooklyn, and I encourage all creatives to take a chance and submit their applications to showcase their work at The People\u2019s Runway,\u201d Dillane said.<\/p>\n<p>The call for applications is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov\/bkdesigners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">open online now<\/a> and closes on July 5 at 11:59 p.m. Submissions must be original work \u2014 the use of AI is not allowed. The five winners will be notified the week of July 20 and must be available from the week of July 27, leading up to the fashion show in early September. All five designs must be finalized by August 31.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-244457\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ThePeoplesRunway_091425-45.jpg.webp\" alt=\"reynoso and dillane at fashion show\" width=\"700\" height=\"560\"  \/>Colm Dillane and Brooklyn Beep Antonio Reynoso celebrated the success of the \u201cPeople\u2019s Runway\u201d fashion show in 2025. File photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n<p>Applicants must be 18 or older and Brooklyn residents to qualify. Each selected designer will receive a $5,000 grant to help cover expenses and mentorship opportunities with industry leaders. The borough president\u2019s office will not provide materials, tools or professional assistance for garment construction. However, Reynoso and his team will manage all logistics, including models, hair and makeup, styling, photography, videography, backstage setup and the runway \u2014 complete with lighting, sound, music and stage design. The Beep\u2019s office will also handle all seating and ticketing, as well as external communications and press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the second year in a row, Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza will be transformed into a catwalk this&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271014,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[2898,4982,104500,2571,23181,98,104501,100,99,104502,58759,1242,4225,4226,104503,9,24,6231,12,370,63,104504,104505],"class_list":["post-271013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-antonio-reynoso","tag-arts","tag-arts-ambassador-colm-dillane","tag-arts-and-entertainment","tag-borough-president-antonio-reynoso","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-borough-hall-plaza","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-colm-dillane","tag-designers","tag-fashion","tag-fashion-designer","tag-fashion-show","tag-fashionista","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-fashion-week","tag-news","tag-newsletter","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-fashion-week","tag-the-peoples-runway"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}