Behind the Scenes of Cynthia Rowley's 101st Runway Show


Before the Spring 2026 season of New York Fashion Week kicked off, Fashionista visited Cynthia Rowley’s Manhattan headquarters to follow the iconic designer as she prepared for her 101st runway show.

“It feels like a big milestone, although I also sort of feel like, hey, this fashion thing is starting to work out. It’s getting easier a little bit,” Rowley told Fashionista a few days before the show. “If it’s 100 shows, approximately 50 looks each…that’s like 4,000 or 5,000 runway looks in my life. That’s crazy.”

In this exclusive sit-down interview, Rowley discussed nostalgic elements of the presentation, surprises to spot throughout the catwalk (hint: her daughter, Kit Keenan, made an appearance) and how she deals with day-of challenges (such as losing one of her models for a full hour of rehearsal).

Rowley also talked about being named an honoree at the upcoming 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards and what it means to have these two significant career moments coincide: “Shocked is not even the word. They describe it as a lifetime achievement award…I always have that sort of underdog [feeling] or imposter syndrome a little bit that I’m just working away here in my little place and nobody knows or cares…It’s such a huge, huge honor. Now I have a lot to live up to.”

Below, watch as Rowley takes Fashionista through a day of preparations, including castings, coaching sessions and fittings. Then, come behind the scenes on show day to see the inner workings of this major New York Fashion Week event.

Keep scrolling to see all the looks from Cynthia Rowley’s Spring 2026 collection.

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

Cynthia Rowley Spring 2026. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

We offer unique services and partnership opportunities for brands big and small to get in front of Fashionista’s community of 1M readers. Learn More.



#Scenes #Cynthia #Rowley039s #101st #Runway #Show

Related Posts

How Launchmetrics Made Fashion Week More Efficient

Photo: Courtesy of Launchmetrics Watch the full conversation between Alison Bringé and Fashionista’s Beauty & Style Director Steph Saltzman on The Fashionista Network. Alison Bringé’s career has spanned New York…

Derrick Spring 2026 Menswear Collection

If Luke Derrick has seemed go quiet since his sophomore London fashion week show for spring ’25, it’s because he’s very sensibly been concentrating on the serious business of selling…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *