Grand Collection’s bold shift to See Now Buy Now

In the Chelsea Gallery District New York’s Grand Collection did more than unveil its Fall 2025 line, they staged a declaration. The brand’s decision to host a See Now Buy Now runway show, timed with the launch of its long-rumoured collaboration with New Balance, may well be evidence that the old fashion calendar is bending to the pressures of immediacy, community, and commerce.

A stage for community, not fashion hierarchy Grand’s runway had the kind of energy that comes when a neighborhood, a scene, a subculture decides to bring its own glamour. Skaters, designers, artists, photographers and musicians, among them Dede Lovelace, Kim Shui, Lil Polo Tee, Nolan Zangas, Spencer Hamilton and Diego Najera, took to the runway alongside more familiar faces such as Evan Mock, ASAP Ferg, Carlisle Aikens and Christina Paik. This was not a show for the elite alone, but for those whose everyday is often aesthetic in motion, shifting, hybrid, street-rooted.

This aesthetic was echoed in Grand’s FW25 collection: elevated sportswear staples with a minimal edge, heavyweight polar fleece outerwear, virgin wool shirting with matching bottoms, reversible wool pinstripe jackets juxtaposed with plush velour tracksuits. And the NB collaboration was apt, not just a branding stroke, but a signal: Grand wants the sneakerhead, the skater, those who live in what’s often dismissed as casual or subcultural, to see themselves reflected in premium materials and design.

Commercial urgency meets strategic identity

There are practical reasons behind Grand’s move to See Now/Buy Now, beyond the feel-good cultural alignment. Fashion’s supply chains remain creaky; inventory delays, wholesale ordering lead times, and competition from fast fashion all squeeze smaller, more agile brands. By allowing customers to purchase immediately, Grand reduces the lag between interest, demand and revenue.

As Grand founder Ben Oleynik put it: “You never see runway shows by brands that come from our world. I love putting my friends who never walk shows in a runway show context. I love seeing our designs in a runway show context. It forces people to look at what we're doing in a different way. In a more elevated way. Brands that come from our world are often seen as less special or less important than traditional luxury houses, but hosting our own shows challenges that.”

“With a standard launch, we always create a lookbook, a skate video and a short film. We're still doing all those things with this collection, but adding in the show really showcases and celebrates the pieces in the most elevated, focused way possible. We work very hard on these collections and everything is intentional, so we want people to experience them in more than just a swipe on Instagram. Having the show be See Now/Buy Now brings the collection to people in a compelling way and brings it to them at the same moment that it is available.”

Those words reveal both the symbolic stakes and the business impulse. Oleynik is asserting that the norms of luxury, exclusive shows, delayed availability, seasonal waitlists, can be retooled toward brands whose origins lie outside those traditions, yet whose scale and visibility now demand something more immediate.

Risks, rewards, and what to watch

Of course, See Now/Buy Now is not without its challenges. Producing enough stock to meet demand early, managing returns if purchases are impulse-driven, keeping quality high while accelerating production, all these require capital, logistical sophistication, and carefully managed expectations. Grand’s collaboration with New Balance helps here: it brings manufacturing credibility, and the sneaker world’s appetite for drops and limited editions aligns well with immediacy.

The reward, however, lies in brand building. Grand has always been a cult favourite; this move pushes it toward mainstream brand metrics, sales velocity, media coverage, global reach, while hoping to retain authenticity. If they pull it off, Grand Collection might become a case study in how culture-first brands use immediacy and community to compete with larger houses that rely on heritage and calendar tradition.