NYFW: Cynthia Rowley hosts comedy fashion show

To showcase her autumn/winter 2023 collection, Cynthia Rowley opted for a whole new format for her New York Fashion Week presentation at Sony Music Hall with an all-female comedy fashion show.

The immersive presentation featured an hour of stand up featuring Claudia Oshry, Esther Ku, Arden Myrin, Nikki Glaser, Ego Nwodim, Michelle Buteau, and Rachel Feinstein, all dressed by Cynthia Rowley.

“I start each day with ten minutes of stand up,” explained Cynthia Rowley in the show notes. “I’ve long said I wish fashion were funnier. Not necessarily the clothes, but the attitude. After hosting a stand-up comedy night at my store in Montauk this summer with my friend and collaborator Seth Herzog, it became clear to me that it was time to realise my long-standing dream to host so many of my favourite funny ladies on one stage.”

Each of the performers wore custom clothes designed with them “in mind,” adds Rowley, using references from the autumn/winter 2023 collection, which include giant pastel paillettes, sheer fabrics, and classically tailored pick-stitch pieces rendered in the brand’s signature sport fabric.

Highlights included Glaser in a two-piece red scuba-looking outfit with flared trousers, Ku in a pastel ensemble with shimmering mini and macro paillettes, and Nwodim made a statement in a boxy bright blue suit worn over a micro silver bra top.

"I see fashion and comedy serving women in the same way,” added Rowley. “If you can be funny, you can feel confident. If you love what you’re wearing you feel confident. And if you can have both, even better."