Broadway is accustomed to a crowd, but outside Macy’s in Herald Square, New York Fashion Week gave passersby something new to stop for: a runway built on the street, a packed red carpet & children taking their turn in the spotlight. Rookie Kids’ “Runway on Broadway: Where NYC Goes Back to School” brought fashion, sports & celebrity families together in a show that felt unmistakably New York.
Hosted by Knicks captain Jalen Brunson, the event featured back-to-school looks from Nike, Jordan, Levi’s, Lacoste & Abercrombie & Fitch. Young models, including children of athletes & entertainers, walked for an audience that included their famous parents, fashion media & influencers. Beyond the invitation-only seating, onlookers crowded the sidewalk for a glimpse of the arrivals. The red carpet was nearly a show of its own.
The clothes had the easy appeal appropriate to the occasion: sportswear, denim & polished school-year staples worn by kids with plenty of personality. A young model in a Light Blue Nike basketball-print tracksuit needed little coaching to make his walk memorable. Performances by the Knicks City Kids, Knicks City Dancers & Brooklyn United kept the energy up between runway moments.
Yet the evening’s most endearing turn was entirely unscripted. Brunson’s two-year-old daughter was due to walk with her mother, but she wanted her dad, too. The emcee was called onto the runway, where the three walked together, their daughter holding a hand on either side. Against the scale of the production, it was a small, disarming moment that captured what this particular show did best.
There was another family story unfolding just off the runway. Lil’ Kim had flown from Paris, where she was on tour, to watch her daughter Royal Reign walk. After a delayed flight, she arrived with almost no time to spare, running from 35th Street & Fifth Avenue before security hurried her to the front row. She missed the red carpet but made the moment that mattered.
The guest list extended across music, television, sports & fashion, with appearances by Ice-T & Coco, Adrienne Bailon, DaBaby, Jordyn Woods, A-Boogie, Peter Quillan, DaniLeigh, Trillion, Trey Songz, Tiki Barber, Craig Melvin, & Fern Mallis, among many others. Celebrity presence can easily eclipse a children’s fashion show; here, the excitement largely flowed back toward the young people on the runway. Parents joined their children for some walks, making the event feel as much like a family celebration as a brand presentation.
That spirit carried through the conclusion. Haddad Brands, Rookie Kids’ parent company, presented a $25,000 check to Brunson’s Second Round Foundation, which supports young people through education, athletics & community outreach. It gave the evening a purpose beyond the spectacle.
“Runway on Broadway” had all the ingredients for a noisy Fashion Week production: a landmark setting, a sidewalk crowd & a star-filled front row. Its most lasting images, though, were of children enjoying their moment—one of them making sure her father came along for the walk.
