Some 20 designers are under 30 years old, including the Nigerian-born, New York-based Taofeek Abijako and his label Head of State, Indian Kanika Goyal (KGL) and Emma Gage (Melke), who uses recycled materials for a more sustainable fashion.
"Very few names are brands that are prominent in the US market," said Jacqueline Quinn of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), confiding that her students are focusing their eyes on Paris and Milan instead.
Instead, the collection of ready-to-wear designs serves up a large helping of young talents and new brands, such as Elena Velez.
The 28-year-old was named "emerging designer of the year" at the 2022 CFDA awards for her non-traditional creations.
For Velez, the Covid-19 pandemic has spurred an "era of renaissance."
"I think there's a renewed lust for life and a reminder of the precariousness of life that inspires young people like myself to embolden ourselves with our passions," she told AFP.
And Velez is determined to enjoy it while it lasts.
"If we're being honest, the shelf-life of a startup fashion brand isn't exactly lengthy," she added.
Denmark's Christian Juul Nielsen, the creative director at Herve Leger, already has several years of experience behind him having worked at Dior, Nina Ricci and Oscar de la Renta.
In 2019, he launched his own brand, Aknvas, whose designs "focus on drape, flattering silhouettes, innovative knits and an elevated palette," according to its website.
"I try to translate the drama I got from John Galliano and the modernity I got from Raf Simmons," he told AFP.
For Nielsen, and others like him, New York presents an opportunity.
"A lot of small brands in Paris, they just don't get on the calendar. In America, there is this excitement of newness (and) I want to be part of making the New York fashion scene exciting," Nielsen added.