Decades before fashion entered its tech-driven era of fast-paced information and social media-measured impact, the front rows at Fashion Week were already reflections of the brands’ cultural currency and influence.
First filled with socialités and editors deciding what would be the predominant style in the post-war era, then signaling the cross-industry relevance of cultural juggernauts such as Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger and now reflecting the pop culture landscape worldwide, the front rows have always served to capture the zeitgeist. Today more than ever, however, the front row has become an integral part of the Fashion Week ecosystem.
No longer regarded as mere guests or VIPs, front row attendees today participate as extensions of the runway and often contribute to shaping the narrative of each collection.
They, of course, also help to boost visibility and sustain conversations amid runway-packed calendars, where attention is fickle and can be easily swayed away.
This season, for instance, brands such as Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein led the headlines and media value tallies during New York Fashion Week thanks to a perfect concoction of fashion relevance, cultural fluency and their ability to reunite notable figures across entertainment, sports and the arts on the front row. In London, Burberry is expected to reunite the city’s hottest front row, while in Milan, the usual suspects will grace the VIP sections of Prada, Gucci or Fendi.
Paris is set to wrap things up on a high note with star-studded front rows as heritage Maisons like Dior, Saint Laurent or Louis Vuitton.
Want to relive some of the most remarkable front-row moments at Spring/Summer 2027 Fashion Week across fashion capitals? Below, No Manners recaps some of the most iconic images from the celebrity-packed fashion extravaganza. Check back as Fashion Weeks unfold for more front-row action in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
New York Fashion Week
Ralph Lauren
Ahead of the official NYFW calendar kickoff, Ralph Lauren hosted friends and VIPs at the Jack Shainman Gallery for a first glimpse into the Spring/Summer 2027 collection. Among the standout names gracing the front row were Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, French actor Laetitia Casta, Asian icons Gao Yuanyuan, Junei and Jeon Yeobeen and Academy Award-winning powerhouses Ariana DeBose and Viola Davis.
Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki, Laetitia Casta, Ariana DeBose, Gao Yuanyuan. Photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren. Photography by Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com.
New York Fashion Week
Coach
Celebrating 85 years in the biz, Coach reunited world-class rising stars at Pier 36 in Lower East Side Manhattan. The youthful guest list included brand ambassadors and campaign stars Elle Fanning and Storm Reid, Chilean-Palestinian singer Elyanana, Thai actors and top conversation-drivers Nanon Korapat and Love Pattranite, as well as Indonesian Coach darling Syifa Hadju.
Other names at the event included South Korea singer Soyeon, girl group KiiiKiii, Hong Kong sstar Gigi Yim, Mean Girls actor Avantika Vandanapu and Australian singer Troye Sivan.
New York Fashion Week
Tommy Hilfiger
Perhaps no other show at New York Fashion Week painted a better picture of the cultural and entertainment landscape than Tommy Hilfiger. The brand presented its vision for “modern prep” at the iconic Plaza Hotel, reuniting a motley assembly of big names in fashion, arts, music, film and sports, from various corners of the planet. The list ranged from Olympians like Sunni Lee and musicians such as Kenia Os and SNSD to streaming series rising stars including Josh Heuston, Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damian Hardung to brand ambassadors, Jisoo, Phuwin, Gemini and Fourth.
Colombian singer Ryan Castro, La Reina del Flow leading man Carlos Torres, Love Island‘s bombshell Trinity Tatum, Victoria Justice and singers Coco Jones, Rei Ami and Victoria Monét also graced the Tommy front row.
New York Fashion Week
Calvin Klein
At Calvin Klein, the A-list front row gathered global campaign stars Sadie Sink and Tate McRae, the Philippines’ tennis icon Alex Eala and Face of Calvin Klein for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, LingLing Kwong. According to social media listening company Onclusive, the latter led celebrity conversations at New York Fashion Week, accounting for 40.29% of the celebrity-related Social Share of Value.
But the celebrity power didn’t stop there. Pamela Anderson, Teyana Taylor, Sea Tawinan and Thomas Chungmanirat and Spanish singer Rosalía were also front and center supporting Veronica Leoni’s latest collection unveiling.
LONDON Fashion Week
H&M
Swedish retail giant H&M might not be the first brand that comes to mind during Fashion Week, but this season the apparel company staged a grand show on the opening day of London Fashion Week in collaboration with British fashion photographer and self-described “image-maker” Nick Knight CBE and his online platform SHOWstudio. Channeling the show’s cross-industry sensibilities, the front row was a parade of stars, including Kpop Demon Hunters’ singing voice Audrey Nuna, Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, English singer Bakar and U.S. actor Laura Harrier.
Other personalities invited to the H&M presentation included Swedish singer Omar Rudberg, singer Cruz Beckham, Respira star Manu Rios, Industry’s Myha’la Herrold) and Thai actor Mile Phakphum.
