When the “godfather of urban fashion” and a front-row visionary share a runway, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) becomes a cultural event. Karl Kani, the visionary who merged hip-hop culture with global luxury through his eponymous clothing brand, joined forces with Dionne Williams, founder of Emerge!, to deliver one of the week’s most anticipated moments.
Kani was one of the featured designers at the Emerge! 15th Anniversary Fashion Show. The event, which included Chaka Khan, beauty CEO Danessa Myricks and model-actress Eva Marcille, was a celebration of 15 years of Emerge! as a platform for emerging designers to increase their visibility and elevate their brands.
But it was also a highly anticipated return to the runway for Kani, a fashion trailblazer who proved Black design and street culture could anchor a global empire. Kani didn’t just break through traditional fashion barriers—he paved the way for generations of Black designers to follow in his footsteps.
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The Root spoke with Kani and Williams about the event and how the pioneering designer sees his beloved brand in 2026.
“The DNA of Karl Kani was definitely street, oversized, baggy, and as you can see, that trend has not gone anywhere,” Kani said. “Every designer wants to have that now. But what we do now is that we elevate it to more of a luxury level, where we’re taking certain fabrics and turning them more into a luxury item.”
Although Kani says his clothes will always stay true to their roots, he added that today’s Karl Kani designs have an increased emphasis on tailoring, which has elevated the brand.
“Back in the day, our clothing was very boxy,” he continued. “Now it’s all about the silhouette. So we’ve been emphasizing that for the last year or so, and to really take the brand to the next level.”
Long before luxury fashion houses took notes from street culture, Kani knew Black style wasn’t a passing trend, but a permanent force. When mainstream fashion was skeptical of his designs, the high-fashion world is now operating on the exact blueprint he pioneered.
“When you’re in the moment, you don’t really realize how big the moment is. Now when I look back, I see what’s old is new. When I pull up some of my fashion shows from like 1996 at Macy’s, I see how what’s old is new,” Kani explained. “Those same styles are what other designers are doing today. I would never say ahead of our time. I think we were right on time because hip hop was just becoming mainstream. We inspired so many other people to feel like, ‘Yo, if he could do it, I could do it.’”
For Dionne Williams, the Emerge! 15th Anniversary Fashion Show was a full-circle moment. Speaking with The Root, she reflected on her original mission – to give designers the visibility they weren’t receiving in the industry.
“Coming from Chicago with zero fashion industry background, I used my PR and event management roots to build my own table in a city known for exclusion. I didn’t wait for permission to get in—I just took my space,” Williams said. “Now, our show is one of NYFW’s most anticipated events, drawing 400 people and turning the industry toward us. I didn’t wait for anybody to let me in. I just went in by myself.”
Williams says she’s always been a fan of Kani’s work, which made it even more meaningful that he was a part of the special event.
“Even 15 years in, I feel like we’re just getting started and taking things to the next level. This year is a major turning point, especially having Karl in the show. I actually grew up wearing his brand, so knowing that history makes this moment full circle,” she added. “We’re still building, but the best is yet to come.”
Along with his NYFW appearance, Kani spoke about his forthcoming memoir Life by Design, set to drop in November, which he describes as a story of “grit and determination to the end.”
Kani noted that his decades-long journey came full circle on the NYFW runway, where his latest collection proved his influence is as vital today as it was in 1989. Along with the spirit of collective power, Kani’s partnership with Williams and the Emerge! platform is a natural continuation of his 30-year legacy.
”After 30 years, our journey from Brooklyn to an international stage proves that hard work and unity endure,” Kani said. “My message is simple: determination can preserve anything, and when Black creators stand together, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.”
