While the world of content creators is highly saturated, there are always a few who manage to set themselves apart. One creator who fits this category with ease? Shaina René. The Brooklyn-bred influencer is widely known for her innovative fashion and beauty content across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where she’s amassed nearly half a million followers, granting her access to some of the industry’s biggest stages — including New York Fashion Week. But let’s be clear: she’s built more than the standard influencer career. René’s spent years perfecting her craft, collaborating with the likes of Revolve and SheaMoisture, and even venturing into styling, with a campaign for Reebok under her belt.
Her sartorial journey began in her formative years, thanks to regular mall trips on the weekends with her mom. “I would have so much fun getting myself ready for class every week, and would always hear family members and friends say, ‘School isn’t a fashion show,’ but for me it was,” René says. “I love everything about clothes and the child inside of me is so happy I’m doing the things I’ve always dreamed about, and being here this week has been a dream.”
This keen approach to dressing is seen in many of René looks, including her ensemble for PatBO’s spring/summer 2026 show. The Sept. 16 event, which transformed a Chelsea warehouse into a garden oasis, served as the perfect backdrop to René’s power suit. “I wanted to keep it very classic, especially on a day when I’m running behind the scenes and doing back-to-back shows,” she says of her outfit. “Styling myself is a process sometimes, being that I use a lot of creative energy on my clients, so I don’t always feel like I have an adequate amount of time to dedicate to styling myself like I would, but with suits, I still make it work.”
She did just that in a gray Zara suit with leather heeled pumps from Acne Studios and a purple, vintage Christian Dior lady bag, proving that Fashion Week isn’t just about dressing for the show you’re attending, but about staying true to what fashion is: expressing yourself through clothing. Patricia Bonaldi, founder of PatBO, championed the same ethos with her collection. Titled “Latin Soul,” the show celebrated her culture with bright colors, fringe, cutouts, and voluminous skirts —inspiring attendees to embrace their femininity — a theme that’s also central to René’s style.
Ahead, the creator and stylist shares more about her look for the show, how she’s navigating her career as a new mother, and every product she used pre-show, including the $10 gel that kept her edges sleek all day long.