CNN
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Over the past few days in New York City — and a little further afield, on Long Island — mainstay brands like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger looked to reinvigorate the classics, while labels including Alaïa and Off-White, who typically show in Paris, crossed the pond to define what American fashion means to them.

New York Fashion Week, which formally kicks off fashion month, has found itself at a crossroads in recent seasons as its counterparts in Milan and Paris have maintained dominance on the industry’s schedule with sought-after shows and splashy celebrity guest lists. But that doesn’t mean the city has been without its A-listers — especially since the weeklong event has coincided with the U.S. Open, bringing out plenty of stars to sit both by the court and the catwalk.

Ralph Lauren got things started with an off-schedule Hamptons fête on Thursday, recreating its iconic Polo Bar for guests including First Lady Jill Biden, singer Usher, and actors Jude Law, Tom Hiddleston and Naomi Watts. At the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum the following night, Alaïa reunited supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta and Stephanie Seymour in the audience while Kendall Jenner led the models’ procession around the art museum’s famed spiraling architecture — though Rihanna’s glittering appearance in a crystal mesh ensemble by the French luxury house was the biggest surprise of the evening.

Off-White also had no shortage of famous faces on Sunday to see creative director Ib Kamara stage the label’s first-ever New York runway, drawing singers Zayn Malik, Mary J. Blige and Camila Cabello and model Alessandra Ambrosio, to waterfront basketball courts in Brooklyn. Also in attendance was US Olympic water poloist Ashleigh Johnson — with rapper Flavor Flav, of course, who became a sponsor of her team this year — and 2024 Olympic all-around gymnastics gold medalist Sunisa Lee.

But Olympians haven’t just been on the guest list this week — they’ve made surprise runway debuts as well. Another one of the gymnastics “Golden Girls,” Jordan Chiles, traded the balance beam for the catwalk at Kim Shui, wearing a floral silk leotard-style outfit, finished with a fluttering cape, while sprinter Noah Lyles took a more leisurely pace at Willy Chavarria’s show in white athletic shorts and armbands emblazoned with “América,” the name the designer chose for a show about the immigrant perspective of the American Dream.

Chavarria’s latest collection — which featured baggy, belted khakis; crisp ties and lapels; and utility menswear skirts, followed by a separate, new sportswear line with Adidas — was set against the backdrop of the American flag and began with a performance of the classic Spanish love song “Querida.” (Guests also received small booklets from the American Civil Liberties Union printed with the full US Constitution, a reminder of the country’s founding ideals.)

It was far from the only show that expressed a sense of political urgency ahead of the 2024 election. The surrealist label Area, celebrating its 10th anniversary, partnered with Tinder to promote (and donate to) the national abortion rights campaign Bans Off Our Bodies, showing a collection of handprints and fingerprints printed, stitched and etched on the garments.

“We really think about and reflect on what is going on in the world and put that back into our clothes,” Area creative director Piotrek Panszczyk told CNN backstage.

The Nepali American designer Prabal Gurung, too, had a message, but one of hope. Galvanized by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Gurung wrote in the show notes that he wanted “create a collection that reflects “a powerful affirmation of matriarchy, femininity and the future.” Gurung’s collection of trailing neck scarves, sheer bustiers and hand-draped sari pants was full of movement on a breezy day near City Hall — and included a seemingly tongue-in-cheek reference to Harris with an embroidered coconut tree mini dress.

“I’ve always believed in power of women, of feminine-leaning ideas,” Gurung told CNN just before the show. “I’ve always believed that they saved me… and I know they can save the world.”

Scroll down to see this season’s runway highlights, updated throughout the week.