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NYC-based designer Dennis Basso is approaching 20 years of New York Fashion Week runway shows, which included multiple shows at Bryant Park. He’ll again be presenting his latest collection at New York Fashion Week this season, on Tuesday.
On the latest New York Fashion Week edition of the Glossy Podcast, Basso discusses his favorite Fashion Week memories and the event’s biggest changes he’s experienced over the years. He also offers a sneak peek of his plans for presenting his fall 2025 collection. Highlights from the conversation, below, have been lightly edited for clarity.
Throughout New York Fashion Week, from February 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from brand CEOs to designers.
Remembering NYFW at Bryant Park
“Before 2007, I was showing every year in different venues. But the first time I showed in Bryant Park was very special to me, because I was showing within three days of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein and some of the biggest designers. And I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing. Dennis Basso is mixed up in the middle of all of this.’ It was a bit of a validation, even though I had already hosted huge shows with 700, 800, 1,000 people elsewhere. … I can remember that very first show and what it was like in that gigantic space with that huge runway. It was quite amazing and something that will always be with me. Plus, everyone was in the same location, and there was a feeling of community, of camaraderie.”
A less prescriptive fashion week
“The world has changed. It’s all different. Some of the great designers choose not to show anymore. They just show my appointment. And some of the companies, like Chanel, do these unbelievable, multi-million-dollar shows. I think all of [the different approaches to showing a collection] are versions of a version. And no one is looking up at or down on someone for what they’re doing. Everyone is doing what’s right for them and their company and their creativity. I love a big show, but I’m excited to do [a presentation] this year. It will be very interesting and a bit more intimate, and interesting for the people coming. They’ll be able to see [the looks] up close.”
