Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus make surprise runway appearance after Empire State Building stunt

The daredevil couple appeared at Elena Velez’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation in New York

Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus have gone from scaling the Empire State Building to walking a New York Fashion Week runway together.

The couple, known for their extreme skyscraper climbs, appeared in Elena Velez’s Spring/Summer 2027 show during NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. Their unexpected fashion appearance quickly caught attention online, particularly because it came only months after their dramatic climb of New York’s most recognisable landmark.

Velez presented her latest collection on September 12 as part of the official Spring/Summer 2027 NEW YORK FASHION WEEK schedule. The designer’s show was listed for 9pm, placing the couple’s runway appearance within one of the city’s busiest fashion events of the season.

Their most recent headline making stunt took place on July 1, 2026, when they climbed the antenna of the Empire State Building. The pair reached the top of the structure, around 1,454 feet above the ground, and displayed a banner carrying a message about love and peace. Beerkus then proposed to Nikolau during the climb.

The stunt ended with both being taken into custody by New York police. They subsequently faced several charges connected to the unauthorised climb, including allegations involving reckless endangerment and burglary. Their appearance in court later became another part of the couple’s continuing public story, with the pair maintaining their distinctive public image surrounding adventure and performance.

Their move onto the runway therefore offered a striking contrast. Instead of appearing hundreds of feet above Manhattan, Nikolau and Beerkus were photographed in a fashion setting alongside professional models during Velez’s latest collection.

Velez is known for experimental collections that often draw attention for their unusual silhouettes, distressed details and theatrical presentation. Her Spring/Summer 2027 show was among the scheduled events during NEW YORK FASHION WEEK, which ran across New York in September.

The runway appearance also gives Nikolau and Beerkus another way to build on the visibility and their increasingly public relationship. Their Empire State Building engagement brought renewed attention to the couple earlier this year, while their latest fashion appearance shows how their image has expanded beyond extreme climbing.

For fashion audiences, seeing the pair at a Velez runway show was an unexpected moment during the Spring/Summer 2027 season. For Nikolau and Beerkus, however, the appearance fits neatly into a public career that has repeatedly mixed adventure, visual storytelling and spectacle.