Colm Dillane is going home. The KidSuper founder and CFDA Award nominee has announced ‘The People’s Runway,’ a community-centric fashion show set for September in his native Brooklyn, marking a return to the grassroots approach that defined his early career.
Dillane has been on a remarkable trajectory since his Louis Vuitton collaboration in 2023, but he has consistently resisted the pull toward establishment respectability. ‘The People’s Runway’ is his most explicit statement yet that community remains the engine of his creativity, not a marketing footnote.
The CFDA has thrown its support behind the event, with several member designers expected to attend and a portion of ticket proceeds going to Brooklyn-based arts education programs. The move signals an institutional acknowledgment that fashion’s future vitality depends on nurturing the kind of raw, local energy Dillane represents.
Dillane’s shows have built a reputation for their unpredictability. Past presentations have included live painting performances, a full orchestra, and a boxing match. ‘The People’s Runway’ promises to dial that energy even further, with a format that Dillane describes as ‘part fashion show, part block party, part art happening.’
The collection itself draws from the designer’s upbringing in Brooklyn, referencing the borough’s visual culture: graffiti tags translated into jacquard knits, bodega signage reimagined as screen prints, and basketball jersey fabrics applied to tailored outerwear.
The event, scheduled for the first weekend of New York Fashion Week, will take over a former automotive repair shop in Bushwick, transformed into a raw exhibition space where the line between audience and participant is deliberately blurred. Seating is limited and open to the public via lottery.
