New York Fashion Week Powered by Break Free

Break Free is leading the discussion on mental health, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders within the fashion industry and beyond. Every runway season, we host a fashion showcase that puts mental health and recovery center stage during New York Fashion Week.

Activists and Influencers are invited to walk the runway and showcase their designs to spread the message that there is life beyond recovery. We define being in recovery as being in recovery for substance use, a co-occurring disorder, risky behaviors such as sex and love addiction, gambling addiction, or self harm, disordered eating, being a suicide attempt survivor, and being in recovery for your mental health.

At Break Free, we are all recovering from something. Our next runway show will be held on Thursday, February 12th, 2026. Featuring designers LadyCat and REHAB.

• 6 pm: Doors open to the venue, enjoy bottomless mocktails from Pathfinder or walk the red carpet
• 7 pm: The fashion show begins

If you are a person in recovery and cannot afford to attend the showcase, please email us at [email protected] for information on gaining complimentary access to the showcase.

Designers

LadyCat is a fashion design house that was established in 2019 by indie fashion designer, Alexandra Nyman. In February 2019, LadyCat launched their first ready-wear collection, “Therapy”. The inspiration for “Therapy” came from Nyman’s younger brother and his mental health journey since his diagnosis of bipolar disorder type ii. In an interview, Nyman went on to explain that, “[my brother] is my driving force and main inspiration in all I do. I wanted this collection to inspire others to seek help and to take their mental health seriously.”

“Therapy” was embraced by a number of Influencers who walked the runway in support of the collection including Celebrity YouTuber, Gabi DeMartino, singer and fashion blogger, Naty Ashba, Actress, Plus Sized Model, and Singer, Gabby Fe, Disabilities Activist, Janira Oberlin, and Christy-Anne Lopez, who held the title of Ms. Philippines in 2018.

Born in New York City, REHAB is a brand inspired by the gritty, seductive world of addiction and the rebirth and freedom of recovery. Our cutting edge designs encourage wearers to shed their anonymity and embrace individuality. In an airbrushed world, we’re designing for real people: the artists, the addicts, the divergent, the truly authentic. A marriage of streetwear and ready-to-wear, with pristine craftsmanship and tailoring, this collection uses art to tell the stories of real people and their journeys, celebrating both the ecstasy and pain of a life well lived.

Open Mind Apparel

OMACUSTOMS is a fashion line of exclusive one of one products. Established in 2022 and founded in 1996, OMACUSTOMS was created for the sole purpose of exclusivity, to be diverse in the face of adversity. Open Mind and Stand Out!

Our Supporters

Guests will enjoy an elevated sober curious experience with Pathfinder serving signature low-calorie, electrolyte-enhanced mocktails, and DanceSafe providing fentanyl testing strip demonstrations to promote harm reduction and drug safety awareness.

Our community partners, including The Sober Curator, NAMI NYC, BigVision, and Sober is the New Cool, will provide additional support and resources, amplifying the event’s advocacy message.

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Host or Publisher Break Free NYFW