Is it really New York Fashion Week? Many designers sat this one out and, for a moment, the party calendar looked pretty bleak. Luckily, the invitations began trickling in late last week. Here are some highlights from last night and the weekend.

LaQuan Smith’s House Party

The Down Town Association, an old Edwardian-style clubhouse in the financial district, hosted another of New York’s favorite sons on Monday: LaQuan Smith. The Queens-born fashion designer held a sprawling party on the club’s top floor, after showing his collection downstairs. Instead of port and cigars, there were marijuana blunts, endless Don Julio and a performance by Saucy Santana.

Occasion: A raucous after-party at 60 Pine Street for LaQuan Smith’s fall-winter 2022 collection, with sponsors including Nordstrom and liquor brands.

The Room: A maze of party rooms, with D.J.s (including Mazurbate and Rich Medina), open bars, a taco buffet, Instagram-ready backdrops, billiard tables and colonial-era taxidermy to keep the festivities flowing.

In Attendance: Everyone was on the lookout for Julia Fox, but she had exited after her runway walk. The fabulously dressed crowd included the rapper Coi Leray, the models Duckie Thot and Emira D’spain, the actors Nicole Ari Parker and Charles Melton, and numerous influencers. Plenty of looks were being served: gender-fluid body-con dresses, miles of vintage fur, leopard prints in all shapes and sizes, and more colors than a psychedelic trip.

Mood: It felt as close to a house party as a sponsored event could feel. “This is what New York is all about,” said Mr. Smith, who wore a body-tight black turtleneck and red-tinted glasses. “I love seeing the kids out. My whole existence is all about representing New York to the fullest. It’s a moment to celebrate right now, especially for Black excellence and Black people and creativity.”

Virtual Siriano?

It wouldn’t be New York Fashion Week if Christian Siriano did not host some sort of party. This time he took over the Blond on Saturday night, strolling in fashionably late with a gaggle of models and semi-celebrities.

Occasion: An after-party to celebrate his fall 2022 collection, shown earlier in the day on the concourse level of the Empire State Building.

The Room: The Blond, the second-floor lounge at the 11 Howard hotel, which held back-to-back parties for much of this fashion week.

In Attendance: Coco Rocho (who walked in the show earlier), Alicia Silverstone, MJ Rodriguez, Aquaria, Ava Max, Leigh Lazark and lots of midlevel fashion players.

The Mood: Describe your collection in three words. “Victorian, Matrix, metaverse,” Mr. Siriano said, holding court in a corner booth, surrounded by supporters and bottles of liquor. “Sometime we feel like we are in the Victorian era, and sometimes we are in the Matrix. Is it the real world or not? Is this digital or is it real? That’s kind of what the collection is about.” Is this reality now? “Kind of, but not really,” he added.

Fashion Church

Also on Saturday, Document Journal, a fashion, art and culture magazine known for its high-profile contributors (Virgil Abloh, Hedi Slimane, Grace Coddington), held a boisterous party inside a 19th-century chapel, packed with models, European fashion executives and camera-shy celebrities.

Occasion: The winter 2022 issue of Document, which features Kristen Stewart on the cover, photographed by Theo Wenner.

The Room: The Chapel Bar, a members-only bar attached to Fotografiska, the Swedish photography museum on Park Avenue South.

In Attendance: Nick Vogelson, the editor of Document; and numerous models including Lulu Tenney, Chloé Véro, Lara Mullen and Naomi Chin Wing. Amy Schumer, Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne were also spotted but declined to be photographed.

The Mood: “It’s too bright in here, I’m going to lower the lights,” Mr. Vogelson said around midnight, as the D.J. known as Baltra cranked up the tunes.