SAP Partners with N4XT to Power Technology Behind New York Fashion Week

N4XT Experiences and SAP have established a long-term partnership to advance the digital and physical framework of New York Fashion Week. The initiative, which is set to debut this February, introduces advanced business software and AI-driven tools designed to help designers manage the logistical challenges of the industry more efficiently.

A New Chapter for Fashion Infrastructure

As the official technology and co-innovation partner, SAP will move beyond traditional sponsorship to work directly with N4XT, designers, and industry partners. The partnership is designed to implement a suite of capabilities including omnichannel commerce, in-store technology, and physical retail activations.

N4XT Experiences, which builds and operates large-scale fashion intellectual property, including NYFW Collections and LA Fashion Week, acts as a connector between designers, venues, partners, and the broader fashion industry. Its designer-first model focuses on providing venues, infrastructure, and operational support so designers can concentrate on creative work.

The Evolution of the .FW Digital Platform

A primary feature of this initiative is the creation of a digital platform called .FW, which aims to unify designers, buyers, and consumers within a single ecosystem.

The .FW platform will be rolled out in phases, according to N4XT Experiences.

The platform will offer curated access to designers and collections, along with tools for navigating schedules and events. It will also connect in-person retail activations with digital experiences across the NYFW calendar.

Imad Izemrane, Co-Founder and CEO of N4XT Experiences, said, “This partnership with SAP marks a long-term commitment to building the infrastructure and solutions the fashion industry needs to grow sustainably.” He added that N4XT aims to remove operational and logistical barriers for designers while leveraging SAP’s technology to scale these systems, describing the February launch as the foundation for future growth.

Retail Innovation Lab Showcases AI-Enabled Retail Capabilities

The partnership will also debut the Retail Innovation Lab by NYFW Collections and SAP. Co-developed with Public School brand co-founders Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, the lab will allow the public and industry professionals to interact with SAP’s AI-enabled shopping technologies.

The lab will support the relaunch of the Public School brand, reimagining how NYFW can function as a platform for direct commerce.

Chow and Osborne said, “The Retail Innovation Lab by NYFW Collections and SAP gives us access to real infrastructure — tools that connect creativity, retail, and technology in a way that’s actionable, not theoretical.”

Through this SAP has demonstrated real-world applications of its technology within fashion and retail. For designers and brands, the initiative provides access to enterprise-grade tools, data, and infrastructure intended to support operational efficiency, growth, and scalability.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

A tangible proof of concept for AI-enabled retail innovation. The partnership places SAP technology at the operational core of a major cultural event. It showcases the practical application of SAP’s AI-enabled technology within the fashion and retail sectors. For SAPinsiders, the Retail Innovation Lab provides a concrete example of how AI can be integrated into in-store technology and physical retail activations to create “actionable” rather than theoretical tools.

Unified digital environments are becoming central to ecosystem strategy. The planned .FW platform highlights growing demand for connected environments that bring together partners, customers, and commerce. SAP deployments are increasingly designed to support multi-party ecosystems rather than single organizations. SAPinsiders should see this as a template for how SAP software can be phased into an industry to support a complex ecosystem of designers, editors, and buyers.

Physical-digital retail integration continues to mature. Linking in-store activations with digital tools signals an ongoing shift toward blended retail models. SAP technologies are being positioned to support operational consistency across physical and digital touchpoints.