Will A$AP Rocky show up? Will Rihanna pop up in tow? Guests were softly chitter-chattering on arrival at the lobby of Park Avenue Armory in the Upper East Side of New York with Manhattan just a step away.

The gothic revival-style locale served as the perfect backdrop for global sportswear brand Puma’s latest showcase last Thursday night, kicking off the New York Fashion Week (NYFW). 

While the power couple was nowhere in sight, the biggest star of the show became the Mostro sneaker. 

Once you stepped inside the venue, the “Welcome to the Amazing Mostro Show” as it was billed, was transformed into a circus that for a South African like myself paralleled the set of American Horror Story: Freak Show.

The darkly dimmed setting coined “Mostroland” gave attendees a surreal experience of a haunted amusement park. It was pure terror with chilling strange sounds, freaky smoke effects and a head-spinning rollercoaster on display. The cherry on top was a performance by Queens-based electropop artist Eartheater, renowned for her psychedelic musical approach that earned her a cult following.

After 7.30pm, Nigerian megastar Davido was the first big name to arrive rocking a silver metallic head-to-toe look complete with a matching bag. He later performed at the after-party at Nebula nightclub, just off of Times Square.

Before long model Ashley Graham rocking her Fenty Avanti shoes arrived. Then there was model-cum-actor Emily Ratajkowski, who was catapulted into superstardom after her appearance in Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines music video in 2013 and later scoring a breakout acting role in David Fincher’s Gone Girl.

Taking a break from filming the much-anticipated final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, Caleb McLaughlin stepped out and he’s looking all grown up. Musician and actor Becky G was also in attendance, joined by NBA player Kyle Kuzma, You People star Lauren London, Transparent star Hari Nef, Grammy nominated rapper GloRilla, Italian sprinter Lamont Marcell Jacobs and Saint Lucian athlete Julien Alfred.

Once the front row was filled, then came the fashion. Styled by Alastair McKimm, working closely with Puma global creative director Heiko Desens, they were no monsters on the runway, just cool models rocking custom and commercial styles for autumn/winter 2024 that will undoubtedly influence style, culture and sports.

Models strutted predominantly in muted hues, contrasted with pops of neon, disco ball shine and multicoloured pieces towards the end. But the bravest, strongest and most powerful hero was the Mostro sneaker, retaining its signature spiky sole and versatile strap closure, while further stepping into the future with updated wild elements.

It was first introduced in 1999, translated from the Italian word for monster. Perhaps, Prince summed it up better when he sang: “So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999”.

“What an experience to be back at NYFW for the relaunch of our iconic Mostro shoe within the Mostroland set,” said Brett Bellinger, marketing director at Puma SA.

“Reimagined and reinvented for today and paired with an amazing apparel and accessory collection to showcase Puma’s view on street style and fashion, the show itself was wild with playground props and dynamic lighting and the occasional snatch of techno beats from around the time of the Mostro debut in 1999.”

The A$AP Rocky buzz to attend the show filled the air since the Puma x F1 creative director starred and directed the Mostro campaign that dropped on digital platforms hours before the showcase. 

New York Fashion Week will end on Wednesday with Thom Browne. Helmet Lang, Prabal Gurung, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Willy Chavarria, Tommy Hilfiger, Tadashi Shoji, Proenza Schouler, Badgley Mischka, The Blonds, Altuzarra, Christian Cowan, Jason Wu and Area having debuted their new collections. Pamella Roland, Sergio Hudson, Diotima and Zankov will stage their shows today .

Stars such as Jon Batiste, Damson Idris, Kelly Rutherford, Sofia Richie Grainge, Julia Fox and more have been spotted at shows.