A Filipino flag-inspired dress moved down the runway in the middle of Times Square, its red, yellow and blue stars and stripes catching the light as Ela Alea stepped in front of the crowd.
For Alea, it wasn’t just another runway. It was her first, and a chance to represent the Philippines during New York Fashion Week.
“We wanted The Fashion Week Experience to be an experience for everybody,” said Jonathan Ellerbee, executive producer of Runways on Fire.
Runways on Fire jump-started New York Fashion Week in Father Duffy Square on Sept. 8, sharing the work of up-and-coming talents with the community and the world. Proceeds from the event, which was free to the public, also benefited the Brooklyn-based HealthJox Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the mental health of youth in New York City.
The fast-paced energy of Times Square carried into Tuesday’s show. Like the traffic flowing through its streets and sidewalks, the nearly four-hour production rarely stopped once emcee Lakisa Renee welcomed the crowd. Despite the heat and the sun beaming down on Father Duffy Square for most of the show, models, designers, musicians and community leaders continued to take the stage.
The show was gated off to those who reserved a spot, but thousands more walked by the show between 46th and 47th streets, with some choosing to stand around the gate to get a closer look and others enjoying the view from the red TKTS Steps. Several stood in awe of what they saw and others instinctively pulled out their cameras to document the show.
But amid the highs, the crew and designers felt a void. This year’s show marked the first time in 14 years that the Runways on Fire show graced Times Square without its founder, James Corbett. Corbett died unexpectedly in November 2025.
Ellerbee had been with Corbett since the first show in 2012, which he described as a ”pop-up shop” with just a few people in Times Square. Their only goal was to be seen — even without a stage or a big production. Fast forward to 2026, Ellerbee said they now have a “full-blown fashion production.”
“[James] wanted to give a voice to the voiceless, so we started this to give emerging designers a platform to be seen, to give emerging models a platform to be seen,” Ellerbee said. “A lot of these designers have all this talent, but nobody’s seen them. A lot of these models have dreams, but nobody’s seen them. Our goal was to give them a platform.”
Nearly every person who took the microphone honored James in their own way — some getting tearful, others thanking him for creating the platform and close friends missing their loved one.
“I was with James from day one, and this is a legacy of love,” Ellerbee said on stage while accepting the Village Award, which acknowledged his service to the community. “And this was particularly hard for me because it’s the first time doing anything like this without my brother. He and I spoke every single day, so I am extremely honored.”
While introducing her work to the crowd, Filipino designer Rojen Morris became choked up remembering Corbett, who reached out to her to join the show five years ago. Morris grew up in the Philippines before moving to West Virginia, where she is based now, but she has kept her home country’s culture at the center of her work.
“I always centered my pieces to diversity and culture, and he loved that I don’t go to the standard norms of height and weight,” Morris said.
Alea represented the Philippines as part of the seven-country Parade of Nations showcase in a dress designed by Morris. In her beige dress with high shoulders and yellow, red and blue stars and stripes radiating off of her right shoulder, Alea beamed at the thought of representing her country.
“We do excel in everything — music, sports and now we’re all here for this Fashion Week with a Filipino designer,” Alea said. “I’m proud. I’m proud of her.”
The mission of Runways on Fire goes beyond platforming up-and-coming talents. For Dewry DuRoi Bradford, executive director of Runways on Fire and the founder of the HealthJox Foundation, the fashion show is more than a display.
“They get the exposure, people get a show. It is a spectacle, however, there’s an underlying value to it, raising awareness of mental health for the youth of New York City,” Bradford said.
The HealthJox Foundation recently launched the Pursuing Purpose Program, which aims to teach kids the fundamentals of fashion.
There are no plans to stop what Corbett built 14 years ago. Ellerbee said planning for the 15th annual show has already begun to carry Corbett’s vision forward. One of these plans, according to Ellerbee, is to integrate youth programs into next year’s show.
“We will continue to give this to New York City. We will continue to give this to the world,” he said. “Times Square next year, we’ll be here.”
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