Did Page Six just officially kill the supermodel era with one overpriced salad course?
Last night’s NYFW kickoff dinner hosted by Hunter — yes, that Hunter, the British heritage brand suddenly everywhere on your For You page — wasn’t just another rubber chicken circuit. It was a coronation. “The New Front Row” they called it. A curated mix of Olympic medalists, HBO heartthrobs, TikTok stylists with seven-figure followings, and exactly three people who’ve ever walked a runway professionally. Anna Wintour would’ve needed a Xanax just reading the seating chart.
The venue: a downtown private club that smells like sandalwood and old money. The vibe: “we’re redefining fashion” energy so thick you could spread it on toast. Hunter’s creative director made a speech about “democratizing the front row” while servers poured $200 bottles of Burgundy for a table that included a WNBA rookie, a Euphoria extra, and a guy who reviews sneakers on YouTube for 12 million subscribers. The actual models? Seated near the kitchen. We see you, industry.
Insiders say the real tension wasn’t about who got invited — it’s who got cropped from the Instagram carousel by morning. A certain A-list actress’s publicist reportedly had a meltdown when her client ended up in the third slide. Another guest, a former Victoria’s Secret Angel, posted a story at 2 AM: “New front row? Honey, I built the runway.” Delete. Repost. “So honored to celebrate the future!” Sure, Jan.
Social media’s already decided: the athletes brought the fits, the actors brought the attitude, and the influencers brought the receipts. Engagement rates on the event hashtag crushed the actual runway shows happening blocks away. Fashion week hasn’t even started and the hierarchy’s already been rewritten in real time.
What do you think? A) The front row should stay exclusive — keep it for industry legends B) Fashion belongs to everyone now — let the content creators eat