Walk the Runway at Century 21 NYC: Fashion Week, Sept 15 and 16

New York Fashion Week closes on Tuesday, September 15. That same afternoon, Century 21 NYC opens a runway on the main floor at 22 Cortlandt Street and lets anyone walk it. Walk the Runway runs Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16, 12:00 to 6:00 PM. You walk, our team films it for the Century 21 Instagram and TikTok stories, and you leave with a free Century 21 tote, up to 5 iron-on patches pressed on while you wait, and a $21 off $100 card.

There is no ticket and no invitation. Come to the Dey Street side of the main floor during event hours and get in line. Totes are on hand while supplies last, and the $21 off $100 card is good in store through October 15, 2026.

New York Fashion Week 2026: what's happening downtown

The official New York Fashion Week calendar runs Thursday, September 10 through Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with about 70 runway shows and presentations for Spring/Summer 2027. Almost every one of them is invitation only, and almost none of them happen below Canal Street.

Walk the Runway is Lower Manhattan's Fashion Week event, and it is open to the public. The runway sits on the main floor of Century 21 NYC, one block from the World Trade Center and the Oculus. It opens the afternoon the official calendar ends and stays open a second day, so the people who spent the week watching shows on their phones get their own turn.

How Walk the Runway works

Three steps, no sign-up:

1. Walk the runway. A red carpet with stanchions and a Century 21 backdrop, on the main floor, Dey Street side.
2. Get filmed. The Century 21 team films every walk for the store's Instagram and TikTok stories.
3. Pick up your tote and choose your patches at the station. Pick up to 5 iron-on patches, and we press them onto your tote while you wait. Your $21 off $100 card comes with it.

Event hours are 12:00 to 6:00 PM on both days. The store itself is open its regular hours, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday, so you can shop before or after your walk.

What every walker leaves with

A free tote, plus up to 5 iron-on patches. Pick your patches at the runway station and we press them on while you wait, so the tote you walk out with is the only one like it. One tote per walker, five patches maximum, while supplies last.

The $21 off $100 card comes with the tote. It takes $21 off any in-store purchase of $100 or more at 22 Cortlandt Street, valid through October 15, 2026, with a $21 maximum per card. Everything is handed out at the runway station, not the register.

Use the card the same day on whatever you walked in for, or hold it for a second trip. Either way, it is good on the whole floor: designer, contemporary, denim, shoes, bags, men's, kids.

What to wear to walk the runway

Wear what you would wear to a show you actually got into. That is the point of the week. If you want to build the look on the floor first, this is where the fall assortment is strongest right now.

The coat does the work. A Max Mara or Weekend Max Mara camel coat over almost anything reads like a front-row seat. Leave it open, sleeves pushed, and let it move on the carpet. If you run warmer, a Barbour waxed jacket over a Ganni dress gets the same effect with more attitude.

Denim, but sharp. FRAME and rag & bone straight legs with a proper break over a heel, or 7 For All Mankind wide legs that swing when you walk. Pair with a Theory or Reiss blazer and a plain white tee. This is the outfit that films best because it moves.

The shoe you can actually walk in. The carpet is short and the cameras are close. A Sam Edelman block heel or a Jeffrey Campbell boot is the safe call. If you have the Jimmy Choo or Valentino pump in you, this is the runway to use it on.

One bag, carried, not slung. A Marc Jacobs tote or a Madewell leather carryall in the hand gives your arm something to do on camera. Then swap it for the free Century 21 tote on the way out.

For men. A BOSS or Canali suit with the tie off, or a Theory knit under a Reiss overshirt with Diesel denim. Moose Knuckles and Barbour outerwear are on the floor for the weeks after, when the runway is a memory and it is 48 degrees at the Fulton Street exit.

The floor changes daily and sizes go fast on the designer names. Come early on Tuesday if you want to shop the look before you walk it.

Shopping downtown: where the runway is

The runway is on the main floor of Century 21 NYC, Dey Street side. Enter on Dey Street and follow the red carpet. The store is the anchor of Financial District shopping, directly across from the Oculus and the World Trade Center transit hub, which puts it within a five-minute walk of most of the trains in Lower Manhattan.

If you are visiting for Fashion Week and want to see the Oculus, the 9/11 Memorial, or Brookfield Place the same afternoon, all three are a short walk. Century 21 is the only full off-price department store among them, and the only one with a runway this week.

Is Century 21 still open in NYC?

Yes. Century 21 NYC reopened at its original flagship at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan and is open seven days a week. The store carries designer and brand-name fashion, shoes, bags, and accessories at up to 65% below retail, in store only. Walk the Runway on September 15 and 16 takes place on the main floor.

Notes for visitors

• Come early. The line is shortest right at 12:00 on both days, and that is when the tote supply is fullest.
• You will be on camera. Every walk is filmed for the Century 21 Instagram and TikTok stories. Tag @century21stores on Instagram or @century21nyc on TikTok if you post your own.
• Totes and patches are while supplies last. Earlier in the day is safer on both days, and the patch selection is widest at 12:00.
• The patch press takes a few minutes. Choose your patches at the station, then shop the main floor while they go on. Pick up the finished tote on your way out.
• Fitting rooms are open if you want to change into your look before you walk.
• The card is in store only. There is no online store, so the $21 off $100 works at the registers at 22 Cortlandt Street through October 15.

The details

What: Walk the Runway during New York Fashion Week. Walk, get filmed, leave with a free tote, up to 5 iron-on patches, and $21 off $100.

When: Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 12:00 to 6:00 PM.

Where: Century 21 NYC, 22 Cortlandt Street, New York, NY 10007. Main floor, Dey Street side.

Store hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Subway: Fulton Street (A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5), Cortlandt Street (R, W), WTC Cortlandt (1), or the Oculus PATH station.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Walk the Runway at Century 21 NYC?

Walk the Runway is a two-day Fashion Week event at Century 21 NYC, 22 Cortlandt Street. On September 15 and 16, 2026, 12 to 6 PM, anyone can walk a runway on the main floor, get filmed for the store's stories, and leave with a free tote, up to 5 iron-on patches, and a $21 off $100 card.

Are there free Fashion Week events in NYC that are open to the public?

Yes. Most official New York Fashion Week shows are invitation only, but Walk the Runway at Century 21 NYC is free and open to anyone. It runs September 15 and 16, 2026, 12:00 to 6:00 PM, on the main floor at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan. No ticket, no RSVP.

Do I need a ticket or an invitation to walk the runway?

No. Come to the main floor of Century 21 NYC, Dey Street side, between 12:00 and 6:00 PM on September 15 or 16 and get in line. There is no registration, no ticket, and no online sign-up. Walk, get filmed, and collect your tote, patches, and card at the station.

What do you get for walking the runway at Century 21?

Every walker receives a free Century 21 tote, up to 5 iron-on patches pressed on at the station, and a $21 off $100 card. The card is good on any in-store purchase of $100 or more at 22 Cortlandt Street through October 15, 2026. Everything is handed out at the runway station, not the register.

How do the iron-on patches work?

After your walk, pick up to 5 patches from the selection at the runway station on the main floor, Dey Street side. The Century 21 team presses them onto your free tote while you wait, so you leave with a tote no one else has. One tote per walker, five patches maximum, while supplies last.

When does New York Fashion Week 2026 end?

The official September 2026 New York Fashion Week calendar runs Thursday, September 10 through Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Century 21 NYC's Walk the Runway opens on that closing day, September 15, and continues Wednesday, September 16, so the public gets a runway after the industry shows wrap.

Where is the runway inside Century 21?

On the main floor, Dey Street side, at 22 Cortlandt Street. The runway is a red carpet with stanchions and a Century 21 backdrop. Enter on Dey Street and follow the carpet. The store is directly across from the Oculus and the World Trade Center transit hub.

Will I be filmed?

Yes. The Century 21 team films every walk for the store's Instagram (@century21stores) and TikTok (@century21nyc) stories. Walking the runway means you will appear in that footage. If you would rather not be filmed, you are welcome to watch from the floor and shop the event.

What should I wear to walk the runway?

Whatever you would wear to a Fashion Week show. A camel coat over sharp denim, a blazer and a heel you can walk in, or a suit with the tie off all film well. Century 21 NYC has Max Mara, Theory, FRAME, rag & bone, BOSS, and Reiss on the floor if you want to build the look first.

How long is the $21 off $100 card valid?

Through October 15, 2026. The card takes $21 off one in-store purchase of $100 or more at Century 21 NYC, 22 Cortlandt Street, with a $21 maximum per card. It cannot be used online because Century 21 NYC has no online store. Use it the same day or on a later visit.

What is there to do near the World Trade Center during Fashion Week?

Walk the Runway at Century 21 NYC on September 15 and 16 is the Financial District's public Fashion Week event, one block from the Oculus. The 9/11 Memorial, Brookfield Place, and the Oculus itself are all a short walk from 22 Cortlandt Street, so the afternoon fills easily.

Is Century 21 still open in NYC?

Yes. Century 21 NYC is open at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan, Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The store sells designer and brand-name fashion at up to 65% below retail, in store only. Walk the Runway runs September 15 and 16, 2026.