Celebrating the World: Flying Dresses New York’s 2026 World Cup Kickoff Event

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is unlike any tournament before it. With an expanded field of 42 teams competing across three host countries, the excitement has reached every corner of the globe. As one of the tournament’s major host cities, New York has become a vibrant celebration of cultures, communities, and the beautiful game.

To kick off this historic tournament, Flying Dresses New York hosted a one-of-a-kind 2026 World Cup event NYC that brought together women from across New York City and New Jersey to celebrate the nations competing in the tournament. More than just a World Cup photoshoot, it was a celebration of diversity, female empowerment, and the incredible cultures that make our region so unique.

The event was made possible through an inspiring collaboration between Flying Dresses New York, our talented Buenos Aires-based seamstress Emily, Blue Eyes Restaurant Hoboken, an amazing team of photographers and videographers, and dozens of incredible women who proudly represented their heritage. Together, we created an unforgettable World Cup celebration in New York that showcased the unity, beauty, and community spirit that the tournament inspires.

How Flying Dresses New York Began

Flying Dresses New York was founded by soon to be husband-and-wife team Danielle (“Danni”) and Federico (“Fede”), whose story spans continents long before it became a business.

Danni was born on Long Island, grew up in New Jersey, and later moved to Spain to pursue a life filled with travel and adventure. Fede was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The two met while working aboard cruise ships, where they quickly discovered they shared a passion for exploring the world and connecting with people from different cultures.

When the cruise industry paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to turn that passion into a business by launching their travel company, Scratch Your Mapa. Through years of traveling, creating content, and photographing incredible destinations, they developed the photography style that would eventually become the foundation of Flying Dresses New York.

Inspired by destinations around the world, they designed their own collection of flying dresses and introduced the experience to New York City. As their business grew, they wanted to combine their love of travel and photography with the cultures that inspired them. That vision led to the creation of their signature flag dresses, each representing a different country and the stories behind it.

Bringing the World Cup to Life

With the World Cup coming to New York, Danni and Fede knew they wanted to create something truly unforgettable – something that has never been done before.

Working alongside their longtime seamstress Emily in Buenos Aires, they designed and handcrafted dresses representing every nation participating in the tournament. Together, they created an incredible collection of custom flag dresses, carefully sewn to reflect the colors and pride of each competing country.

The goal wasn’t simply to make dresses though.

It was to give women the opportunity to celebrate where they come from, honor their heritage, and stand proudly beside others representing cultures from every corner of the world, right here in one of the greatest cities in the world.

A World Cup Celebration in New York

On June 19th, women from across New York City and New Jersey gathered at Blue Eyes Restaurant Hoboken to represent the countries competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Throughout the morning, every participant enjoyed a professional World Cup photoshoot wearing her country’s flag dress before joining fellow representatives for group portraits inspired by the tournament’s group stage. We had 5 different photo stations with various pose styles, along with a videographer recording behind the scenes.

The celebration concluded with a breathtaking full-cast drone portrait featuring women representing every participating nation together in one powerful image, with the gorgeous NYC skyline as a backdrop.

Guests enjoyed authentic Italian cuisine, celebratory drinks, music, and an atmosphere filled with laughter, conversation, and incredible new friendships.

What made this 2026 World Cup event in NYC even more meaningful was the collaboration behind it. Local photographers, videographers, designers, restaurant staff, and small business owners all contributed their talents to bring the vision to life. The entire experience was non-profit, with almost 100 people dedicating their skills, time, and passion into this unique project.

It was truly a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together with a shared purpose.

More Than Beautiful Dresses

While the photographs captured incredible moments, the heart of the event was always (and will always) be about people.

It was about celebrating women from different backgrounds.

It was about highlighting the diversity that makes New York one of the most extraordinary cities in the world, with each woman bringing her authentic self.

And it was about empowering women in the most unique and extraordinary way possible.

A bonus? It was about supporting local businesses while creating a meaningful women empowerment event that made every participant feel confident, beautiful, and proud of the culture she represents.

The dresses may have represented different nations, but together they symbolized something much bigger: community, diversity, friendship, and the power of celebrating our differences.

Looking Ahead

This 2026 World Cup event NYC was just the beginning.

Flying Dresses New York looks forward to hosting more cultural celebrations that bring communities together through travel, photography, fashion, and storytelling. By partnering with local businesses, collaborating with talented creatives, and creating experiences that celebrate women from around the world, we hope to continue building a stronger community—one event at a time.

Whether you’re visiting New York during the World Cup or you’re a local looking for a unique cultural experience, we hope you’ll join us at one of our future events, or book one of our flying dress photoshoots.

Are you a small business or creative? We also encourage you to reach out so you can collaborate with Flying Dresses New York in a new and fun way. Because at the end of the day, New York is a city of dreams, and small businesses and creatives are the ones that make it shine even brighter.