Conversations in New York City this week have been laced with a tinge of anxiety or excitement for Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals, which the Knicks played in on Wednesday night for the first time since 1999.

The chatter inside Katz’s Delicatessen, on the Lower East Side, was no different as the fashion crowd and associated influencers gathered to celebrate Prada Mode, a traveling culture series organized by the Italian fashion house, which began on Wednesday and will run through Sunday.

During lulls in conversation, attendees checked the basketball score as guests, including the actress Hunter Schafer and the poet Amanda Gorman, were offered pastrami sandwiches and a menu of deli staples by Sam Lawrence, the chef at Bridges in Chinatown.

“I saw tip off, which gave me a bit of the texture of the game,” said the stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. “I have to leave before the night ends to catch the rest of it. I have a feeling New York will turn up tonight.” (She was right. The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs, 105-95.)

The first two days of Prada Mode are invite-only events at Hotel Chelsea, where guests will be treated to workshops, music performances and talks. The series will open to the public on Friday with art installations on view at several locations across Manhattan.