Gov. Kathy Hochul attends New York Fashion Week event


The governor’s gone glam!

Gov. Kathy Hochul made a splash at a New York Fashion Week show by rocking a chic floral brocade dress by Prabal Gurung — at one point praising the designer for being “inspired by powerful women.”

Photos show the 63-year-old politician, who typically sports sensible monochrome dresses and blazers, striking a pose at Gurung’s star-studded event in Battery Park Wednesday night.

“[Gurung] says he is inspired by powerful women and I have to give credit to his mother for raising a son who appreciates women who are powerful but also still maintain their femininity, so you don’t have to compromise that,” Hochul told Vogue at the event.

“We can dress up and celebrate what makes us unique but also have our proper place in the worlds of power, whether it’s in politics, whether it’s in the private sector, non-profits—wherever. Women need to step into the space that is rightfully theirs that has been denied them far too long,” she said.

Other photos show Hochul, who was reportedly loaned the dress by the designer, chatting with fashion industry A-listers while clad in a black mask, and watching catwalkers strut their stuff from the front row of the show,  which boasted views of the Statue of Liberty.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Gov. Kathy Hochul was loaned the dress by Prabal Gurung and praised him for being “inspired by powerful women.”
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Hochul — who became the state’s first female governor when she took over disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s job last month — announced a partnership with New York Fashion Week that allows fashion industry bigs to use Robert Wagner Jr. Park downtown and Moynihan Train Hall for events free of charge.

She said the semi-annual series of runway shows and events, which is normally an economic boon to the Big Apple, needed support this year to help with the city’s COVID “comeback.”

“This is where all the eyes of the world are when it comes to fashion. But the pandemic knocked us back on our heels,” she told Vogue.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Gov. Kathy Hochul sat front row at the Prabal Gurung spring/summer 2022 fashion show.
Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

“It really was tough for many industries: hospitality, entertainment, and truly fashion. We have over 200,000 jobs associated with this industry and so many places had to close down because people were not out there shopping, they were not going to events.”

She added, “As part of our comeback, it is really important to me personally, as a leader and as a woman, that we make sure that we celebrate this industry.”

A rep for Hochul didn’t immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

Kathy Hochul.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Fashion Week needed support this year to help with the city’s COVID “comeback.”
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP via Getty Images