by Sofie Foppiano

On the perfect, post summer, yet still pre-fall morning, September marks the convergence of the fashion industry as a month of Fashion Week begins. Inside a sun-drenched loft at 40 Crosby Street, RaiseFashion’s NYFW Showcase hosted 16 emerging designers, who presented their collections for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience powered by Fluency, alongside a panel on what it truly takes to turn visibility into viability. It was the kind of space where conversations about culture, commerce, and creativity flowed. The event featured sponsorship from retail heavyweights including Abercrombie & Fitch, Makeup Forever, Perrier, oHHo, and Ten to One. 

Fluency's goal for this event was simple: to create frictionless moments that connect brands and their communities, turning one-time purchases into lasting relationships. Using Fluency’s seamless text-to-checkout shopping, guests could follow designers by text, scan their pieces using the QR code attached to the garment, and shop directly from their phones, making it easier than ever to support new talent in real time.

RAISE Fashion is a non-profit organization committed to advancing inclusion and equity in the fashion industry, providing mentorship to BIPOC designers.

Powered by Fluency, the only AI-driven SMS platform bridging creators and commerce, RaiseFashion spotlighted its emerging designers in Times Square during one of the fashion industry’s most influential weeks. The activation connected independent brands to global audiences in real time, underscoring how technology can expand visibility beyond the runway.
DSCF4647 (1).jpg 1.01 MBA customer shopping Gwen Beloti Earrings via text. 

The day before The Gallery: A NYFW Showcase, designers from Harbison, Bach Mai, Advisry, Danzy Design Studio, Gwen Beloti, and House of Aama gathered in Midtown Manhattan to see their faces and collections illuminated across a Times Square billboard. The moment served as both a celebration of their growing recognition and a preview of the following day’s event, where each brand would continue to merge creativity with commerce on fashion’s biggest stage.

250808_02_Keith_064.jpg 25.72 MBCotte D'Armes, Keith Herron of Advisry, and Gwen Beloti of Gwen Beloti Jewelry

The billboard campaign was creative directed by Inga Odette Rod, with video and photo by Kyrre Kristoffersen. 

The shopping event the next day, set inside the Posh event space - a Pinterest-esque SoHo loft dream - the event felt like stepping into the future of fashion retail as garment racks curved around the room with each designer stationed by their collections. By 10 a.m., the room was already alive with stylists, editors, and founders discovering new pieces, which became purchases in real time.
Screenshot 2025-10-24 at 1.50.31 PM.png 2.99 MB

The Result? 

Hosted by Felita Harris, RaiseFashion’s executive director and co-founder, the event’s heart was a panel following the day-long shopping event, moderated by Business of Fashion’s senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young, featuring a powerhouse lineup of panelists: Carey Krug, Chief Marketing Officer, Abercrombie & Fitch, Halah AlQahtani, Chief of Staff and Senior Director, Internal Communications and Culture, Glossier, Jalem Getz, Founder, Fluency, and Marc Farrell, Founder & CEO, Ten To One Rum.

BFA_50954_7329234.jpg 6.21 MB(Left to Right: Jalem Getz, Carey Krug, Felita Harris, Sheena Butler Young, Halah AlQahtani, Marc Farrell)

Each speaker offered a candid take on the realities of scaling a brand in today’s market—where hype fades faster than it builds, and founders are tasked with turning cultural currency into actual profit. Krug spoke about marrying storytelling with sound business fundamentals; AlQahtani reminded the audience that representation must come with infrastructure; Farrell urged brands to define identity as an advantage, not a limitation.

As for Getz, his message was simple: start before it’s perfect. “You’ll learn more by launching than waiting,” he told the audience, a line that seemed to echo around the room long after the panel wrapped.

Part showcase and Part summit, the gathering was a reminder that fashion’s next era isn’t just about what’s seen on the runway, but how that visibility sustains itself year-round.

For the designers showcasing at 40 Crosby, Fluency wasn’t just another digital layer—it was a living, breathing bridge between their craft and their customers. Kanyinsola Onalaja praised the simplicity of checkout through text, calling it “effortless and elegant.” Gwen Beloti envisioned Fluency’s AI as a “personal stylist” that could channel her tone and aesthetic directly to shoppers’ phones. Vontelle Eyewear saw its potential for moments like Black Friday and exclusive re-engagement campaigns, while Harbison Studios imagined using the platform to automate outreach without losing the warmth of human connection.

Collectively, their reflections painted a clear picture: Fluency scales authenticity. It’s technology that amplifies personality rather than replacing it—a tool that turns fleeting fashion-week exposure into ongoing dialogue, community, and conversion.