Christopher John Rogers has cultivated a loyal clientele and colorful aesthetic. InStyle documented the best street-style trends and outfit inspiration from the designer’s Fall 2025 runway show at New York Fashion Week. See all the photos here.

Joy, confidence, and power at the designer's return to New York Fashion Week.

Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall at a NYFW party? Or wondered how street style trends take off? With On the Grid, InStyle documents the best-dressed crowds at runway shows, sold-out concerts, and beyond. Consider this your style scene report.

The weather couldn’t have been worse. A winter storm ushered in the morning light in an already frigid and miserable season, leading into the first night of New York Fashion Week. Yet, there they were: a crowd dressed in inimitable stripes, sumptuous colors, and ballooning skirts, rushing to get inside the Christopher John Rogers show, his official comeback to the CFDA calendar.

It’s the night’s most covetable invitation. When Christopher John Rogers decides to put on a runway show—the designer operates on a seasonless format—the sheer delight of his impeccably-made and gasp-worthy clothes always draws a crowd. And it’s a fashionable bunch at that. Before the event begins, a parade of clients and fans put on their best Christopher John Rogers power uniforms, making the whole night feel like a two-for-one style special.

Since debuting in 2019, the Louisiana-born designer has cultivated a clientele that’s sworn allegiance to his rainbow flag and racing stripes, two of the brand’s signature elements. They’ve followed him from his debut show in 2019 to his sold-out collaborations with Target and J. Crew. He’s even designed costumes for the New York City Ballet. And tonight, these CJR acolytes have journeyed to Brooklyn’s Navy Yard for another taste of the rainbow—dressed, of course, in their Christopher John Rogers best.

“There’s just a magic that he brings to the clothing,” Christopher Griffin, a plant expert and content creator who owns about 45 pieces from Christopher John Rogers, tells me before the show. “Every single piece I would frame.”

Works of art? Certainly. In Collection 015, titled “Exhale,” the designer showcased why he’s earned this praise from both industry giants and clients through a carousel of laffy taffy fringes, luxurious tailoring, and candy-colored dresses that moved like the dancing girl emoji. A feel for construction is by far the designer’s greatest gift. In an industry where sometimes it’s hard to know if a frayed hem is on purpose or a last-minute fail, Rogers’s garments already look museum-worthy on the runway. 

There’s something deeper, however, that inspires a fierce loyalty in his clients. CJR admirers rarely talk about how they look—it’s always about how the clothes make them feel. 

“Whimsical, light, feminine,” is how actress Keke Palmer, who wore a white corseted dress from Christopher John Rogers, describes the designer's work minutes before his show began. “Fashionable, chic, effortless,” followed Real Housewives of New York City cast member Sai De Silva, sporting a sequined navy button-down shirt and matching cargo pants from the designer. “He makes me feel so confident,” added DJ and content creator Hannah Bronfman, wearing an orange CJR coat featuring lace corseting on the back. 

That’s a star-studded set of fans, but the charm of CJR escapes no one, even a college student. “[His clothes] make me feel empowered and completely stunning. I love his expression of pattern and color,” says Cierra Calmeise, a senior at the University of Cincinnati and former intern at Christopher John Rogers. Bought from a recent archive sale, she’s sporting a light blue corset with whimsical moon and stars drawings from the designer’s Collection 011. Ana Colón, a New York-based writer and editor who wore CJR to her wedding, says the clothes make her feel “joyful, inspired, and hopeful,” describing him as “a designer I believed in and that would do something really different.”

Speaking with many of his supporters, it’s clear that the color he puts on the clothes is not just a statement but rather an invitation to tap into their joy, even for a pack of New Yorkers whose all-black uniform is hard to break. “His clothes make me feel like I can play around and have fun,” says Eni Popoola, a former corporate lawyer-turned-content creator, who confesses to wearing mostly black in her everyday life. In an industry of bland neutrals and a continuous push for basics, editor and TV host Zana Roberts Rossi says the designer’s bet on color is a rebellion: “Down with stealth wealth, down with quiet luxury,” she says. 

Christopher Rohn Rogers refuses to change his stripes. And his clientele hopes he never does. Not just because the clothes are good (and I repeat, they’re impeccable), but because the designer's vision inspires hope in a world that’s hellbent on making pessimism the most valuable currency. “It’s an ephemeral mood booster in a time that may feel so dark,” says Miles Hicks, a CJR fan who works at the Brooklyn Museum. 

With Collection 015, John Rogers made a crowd of stressed-out, spiraling New Yorkers exhale at the sight of another showstopping collection. For a moment, it felt like the future would be colored in CJR, and that is a great feeling.

Keke Palmer

Christopher Griffin

Hannah Bronfman

Sai De Silva

Jenee Naylor

Willy Sinclair

Rolly Robínson

Eni Popoola

Zana Roberts Rassi and Talia Parkinson Jones

Noah Kozlowski

Cierra Calmeise

Juan Vigoya and Abby Duban

Jonathan Bell

Ana Colón

Miles Hicks

Cory Taylor

Rashinda Bankhead

Channel Jordan