Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street, New York, NY 10002
Saturday, September 12, 2026, New York, NY // Two sold-out performances of StylePointe Nouvelle, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., brought fashion and dance enthusiasts to Dixon Place for the production’s seventh annual NYFW showcase, presented by Creative Performances. This year’s edition introduced a new element to the collaboration: a performance art component, with an interactive presentation in the lounge area by artist Max Sandhu, book-ending the performances. The evening was hosted by Matt Roper.
StylePointe Nouvelle paired six fashion designers with professional choreographers to interpret complete collections through dance, offering audiences an alternative way to experience New York Fashion Week. The headliner, “Core Collection,” came from Marina Cortbawi, Founder & Creative Director of Merlette NYC, choreographed by Michelle Thompson. The five other featured designers were Auguste DuBois (Silicon Lung, choreographed by Leighann Kowalsky), Anne-Laure Gilard of Anelore Atelier (Paloma, choreographed by Beth Jucovy of Dance Visions NY), Shiki Gu (Farce List, choreographed by Taylor Gordon), Katya Bolanos (Fantasia, choreographed by Katie Binder), and Chinedu Ibekwe of DU.URE (Off Explosives, choreographed by Vanessa Martínez de Baños & Ashley Carter of DoubleTake Dance).
The show was Directed & Produced by Sangeeta Yesley, and Co-Curated by Mariana Leung. Reflecting on what she hoped audiences took away from the evening, Yesley shared: “I would like you to leave thinking about fashion a bit differently. Not just something you look at, something you wear, but something that has a story to it, more of an emotional life to it.”
StylePointe Nouvelle received press coverage on two fronts this year. Leung, in her capacity as a fashion expert and photographer, appeared on NY1’s Spectrum News to discuss standout looks from New York Fashion Week, including the shows bringing something extra to the runway. Click here to see the footage.
She also authored a feature for Threads magazine on the production, writing about how the designer-choreographer pairings put each collection through a kind of stress test that a still photograph never could, by revealing, garment by garment, how construction, fabric choice and fit change once a piece has to move. Click here to read the article.
Recap Reel of the event: https://youtu.be/-rIzXElNdg0
More information can be found at stylepointe.net.
This project is made possible in part with funds from “Creative Engagement,” a regrant program supported by the funding agencies — The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council and The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor & the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC.
Sincere Thanks to Our Product Sponsors
FOUR:Organics, HIPPEAS, SWIIYO, and MCoBeauty
Huge Thanks to StylePointe Nouvelle Team 2026
Matt Roper – Host; Max Sandhu – Performance Art Artist
Peter Yesley – Photographer
Anna Paterson – Assistant, Graphic Designer, SM Manager
Audrey Ross – Public Relations
Creative Performances’ mission is to provide an opportunity for dancers of all genres to help them showcase their work in New York City. In addition, Creative Performances seeks to create further appreciation by developing projects to explore relationships between dance and other art forms. All projects of Creative Performances are fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas. www.creativeperformances.com
Dixon Place is an incubator for artists since 1986 and a non-profit organization committed to supporting the creative process by presenting original works of theater, dance, music, puppetry, literature, performance and visual art at all stages of development. www.dixonplace.org
