Recovery on the Runway is a New York–based advocacy fashion showcase produced by the Break Free Foundation during New York Fashion Week. Rather than focusing on trends alone, the show places mental health, recovery, and lived experience at the center of the runway—telling the stories behind the clothes and the people wearing them.

Founded on the belief that creativity, recovery, and advocacy belong in fashion’s most visible spaces, Break Free uses the runway as a platform for healing, visibility, and real human connection. Each season brings together designers, activists, and creatives who challenge stigma and redefine what resilience looks like in the industry.

Designers Presenting This Season

This season’s show features a diverse lineup of designers whose work reflects authenticity, recovery, and creative defiance:

Monday Blues, Studio. — is lead by an anonymous designer who chooses absence as a form of authorship. Be removing the face behind the brand, the focus shifts entirely to craftsmanship, narrative, and emotional impact. In a culture obsessed with visibility, anonymity is the ultimate luxury.
REHAB New York — A fashion brand built from real journeys of recovery, celebrating survival, transparency, and the power of reclaiming one’s story.
LadyCat by Lex — A size-inclusive womenswear label by Alexandra “Lex” Nyman that merges fashion, mental health advocacy, and emotionally driven storytelling.
Dmarxx Design — A handcrafted leather accessories brand blending edgy silhouettes with timeless elegance, anchored in the founder’s recovery journey.
AHF (Aldo’s house of formals) — has been styling & creating timeless looks for almost two decades. Under the leadership of Aldo Segama, AHF began as a small formalwear destination to a sought after brand, with clients from around the globe.
Open Mind Apparel (OMACUSTOMS) — An exclusive, one-of-one fashion line championing individuality, creative freedom, and self-expression.
Susie Elliott — At 95, the Brooklyn-based designer makes her NYFW debut with imaginative, one-of-a-kind hats, dresses, and accessories, proving creativity has no age limit.

Special Guests & Performances

New York State Office of Mental Health will be onsite, tabling and sharing mental health resources available throughout New York.
Yannie Beliziano, Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, will debut a new song reflecting her mental health journey.

Event Details

📅 Wednesday, February 11, 2026
📍 The Refectory at Chelsea Square, 429 W 20th Street, Manhattan

Run of Show:
🕕 6:00 PM — Doors open, red carpet arrivals & bottomless alcohol-free mocktails
🕖 7:00 PM — Fashion show begins

Show Credits

Show Producers: Alexandra Nyman & Claire Comai
Hair & Makeup: Paul Mitchell School of Staten Island (Key MUA: Diana Varvaro)
Mocktails: Pathfinder, Seraphim, Clean Cause, Salud, and Dirty Virgin

About the Break Free Foundation

Founded by Alexandra Nyman, the Break Free Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, substance use disorders, and co-occurring conditions through advocacy, education, and creative storytelling. Best known for its New York Fashion Week programming—including Recovery on the Runway—the Foundation raises funds for recovery scholarships and expands access to life-saving care when insurance falls short.

At Break Free, we believe we are all recovering from something—and that healing deserves a place at the forefront of fashion.

Why Fashion? Why Recovery?

Break Free is leading a national conversation at the intersection of mental health, substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and the fashion industry.

Every New York Fashion Week season, we host Recovery on the Runway, a fashion showcase that places recovery — not perfection — at center stage.

Activists, creatives, and influencers walk the runway to send one powerful message:
There is life beyond recovery.

At Break Free, we define recovery broadly and inclusively. Recovery can mean healing from:

Substance use disorders
Co-occurring mental health conditions
Disordered eating
Self-harm
Gambling addiction
Sex and love addiction
Being a suicide attempt survivor
Or simply doing the ongoing work of mental health recovery

At Break Free, we believe we are all recovering from something.

Your Impact

Your donation directly supports:

Treatment scholarships for individuals seeking recovery
Expanded access to mental health and substance use treatment when insurance falls short

Every dollar raised brings someone closer to care, dignity, and a future.

✨ Donate today and help turn the runway into a lifeline.
✨ Support recovery. Support hope. Support life beyond addiction.

Together, we can ensure that healing is accessible — not a privilege.

Break Free NYFW

By Break Free Foundation

Break Free NYFW

Recovery on the Runway: Fashion Saving Lives

Team Members