EMERGE! Fashion Show closed out New York Fashion Week in style, celebrating its 15th anniversary on Tuesday, September 15, with a star-studded runway and awards show that brought together fashion, music, and culture under one roof.
At the center of the night was legendary recording artist Chaka Khan, who commanded the catwalk after being named EMERGE!’s 2026 Fashion Innovator. An 11-time GRAMMY Award winner, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and 2026 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Khan has spent more than five decades shaping music, fashion, and culture, and the honor arrived just days ahead of the release of her new studio album, CHAKZILLA, out September 18.
“Chaka Khan represents exactly what the Fashion Innovator Award is about. Her fashion has always moved with her music and reflected who she was at that moment,” said Dionne Williams, creator and producer of EMERGE! Fashion Show. “She has never been afraid to evolve, experiment, or show up as herself. Her influence on music, beauty, fashion, and culture is undeniable.”
Khan joins a distinguished list of past EMERGE! Fashion Innovator honorees, including André Leon Talley, Dapper Dan, Law Roach, Sergio Hudson, Karl Kani, Beverly Johnson, and Ty Hunter.
Khan wasn’t the only one celebrated on the night. Eva Marcille, the award-winning model, actress, and entrepreneur, received the Style Award, while beauty visionary Danessa Myricks, founder and CEO of Danessa Myricks Beauty, took home the Business of Beauty Award.
Adding to the night’s biggest fashion moments, hip-hop streetwear pioneer Karl Kani returned to the EMERGE! runway for the first time in nearly a decade, debuting his newest collection. GRAMMY-nominated R&B singer October London delivered an unforgettable surprise of his own, leaving his front row seat to take the stage and perform his hit song Back to Your Place following the debut presentation of the Saint London x FEDÚ Collection, a design collaboration with Ilbert J. Sanchez.
The night also spotlighted the next generation of emerging designers, including Matthew J. Williams of Matthew Joseph Designs, Sonia Yaba of LOU AYMÉ, and Makarassi Couture, staying true to EMERGE!’s 15-year legacy of creating visibility and opportunity for rising talent.
The evening was hosted by Nick Arrington of Bravo’s Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard alongside actress and TV host Raval Host, and closed with a Disaronno toast to the honorees and emerging designers, presented by Williams herself.
Check out images from the show below.
Photo Credit: Phelan Marc/Abigail Belisle
