Afterpay Partners with NYFW and LaQuan Smith for See-Now, Buy-Now Fashion Show

With so many design studios forced to halt production and runway shows kept to the digital space, it's been a hard year in the fashion industry. Luckily, things are looking up as New York Fashion Week announces its return to in-person shows for the Spring/Summer 2022 season.

In addition to seeing runway collection's up close, Afterpay—this year's presenting partner of NYFW, an IMG event—reveals that LaQuan Smith will include his designs in the platform's first "see-now, buy-now" fashion show. Shoppers from around the world will be able to shop the collection immediately upon its debut.

In recent years, Afterpay's "buy-now, pay-later" concept has allowed consumers to venture into new territories by making brands more accessible to a wider variety of customers. Shoppers can purchase and order their items immediately at checkout, but rather than pay the total in full, they pay a fractional price upfront and the rest in installments over a six-week period.

This exciting announcement for the upcoming runway season comes on the heels of Afterpay's multi-year global deal with IMG to support American fashion designers, both experienced and emerging, by expanding their audience and the accessibility of their creations. According to a press release about the new partnership, "Afterpay is truly looking to bridge the gap between high fashion and consumers, championing accessibility, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and allocation of key resources for local designers in the community."

2020's global shutdowns took a major toll on the community, specifically local artists and designers. As a result, Afterpay's new alliance with one of the world's top modeling agencies will allow the platform to continue its mission of reviving the retail industry with accessibility at the forefront.