A look inside LaQuan Smith's New York Fashion Week Bash

As a snowstorm loomed over New York City late Monday night, the Box's bouncers filtered through a steady stream of musicians, models and Internet personalities in fur coats (or no coat at all) for designer LaQuan Smith's afterparty.

Known for its shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, fantastic looks and spectacle at every turn, the blowout is a coveted invitation. It followed Mr. Smith's fall 2024 show at Cipriani earlier in the evening, which featured fur bags and flowing sheer and satin silhouettes. (To close the presentation, musician Babyface left his front row seat and played a grand piano in the center of the room.)

Hundreds of guests, such as rappers Busta Rhymes and Joey Badass and actors Meagan Good and Serayah McNeill, arrived at the main entrance, hidden behind a door with an active ramp sign.

Inside the venue, an acrobat, sandwiched between a chandelier and a disco ball, hovered gracefully above the bartenders to fulfill a steady stream of drink requests. “Are you getting a sidecar because tomorrow is a snow day?” said a guest calling across the room to a friend.

Models Jasmine Sanders, Alton Mason and Yvesmark Chery took to the dance floor, along with internet personalities Aliyah Bah and Isan Elba, whose father is actor Idris Elba.

People shouted the words during a series of Usher songs, with the DJ clearly referencing the recent Super Bowl halftime show. One of the performers, Ann-Archy Artist, wore a vibrant Wild West look in honor of Beyoncé's recent announcement of her upcoming country-themed album.

“My philosophy is kind of a nod to the rah-rah '90s,” Mr. Smith said when explaining the concept behind his Fashion Week parties. Achieving this, he said, means having a “good crazy door,” a “great” playlist and an endless stream of drinks. The evening's guests also received Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars – one of many sponsored freebies that ran out by the end of the evening.

Although he has lost count of the number of Fashion Week parties he has hosted, he said the nightlife, particularly the style of the women in SoHo and downtown in general, has been an inspiration to him as a designer.

“I used to sneak into some of the clubs or the Fashion Week parties in the Meatpacking District,” Mr. Smith said.

Those who stayed into the early morning hours remained energetic, dancing and singing along as a light hail fell.