It was a night of surprises at the second annual The People’s Runway presented by KidSuper founder and Brooklyn arts ambassador Colm Dillane and Brooklyn Borough president Antonio Reynoso.

“Someone’s fainting,” onlookers of the show yelled toward the stage as Dillane was making his opening remarks at the outdoor event at Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza on Saturday night. But after a quick check on the person and an “all clear,” the designer segued, “And we’re back. That’s the Brooklyn way.”

Indeed, for the second edition of The People’s Runway, five Brooklyn-based designers — Kuai Li of Quine Li, Lamin Rey Jaiteh of Rey Jaiteh, Laurel Tiange Fang of Laurel Blue, Moses Aina of Igbo-Sisun and Roderick Reyes — were chosen from hundreds who answered an open call earlier this summer.

Each received a $5,000 grant, direct mentorship from Dillane and leading industry figures, and the opportunity to develop and present their work on the official New York Fashion Week calendar.

“What I’m most excited about is seeing The People’s Runway become an annual project,” Dillane said. “Seeing this new class has gotten me so excited because we’re building something that has a real impact. It’s also incredible to see what last year’s designers have been able to do since their show. We’re creating something that can have a real effect on young creatives, giving them a platform, resources and an opportunity to take the next step.”

During the event, each designer showed five looks that best showed off their brand’s DNA. Li’s collection kicked off the night centered around the transformation of a heart into a wing, most notably seen in the first look of an oversize red fur coat with a dramatic train and the last look that had a set of large, feathered wings. “I wanted to build something very vulnerable without any protections,” she said. “I also wanted to show the desire inside of myself through these designs.”

Fang’s collection was inspired by water’s changing states and her personal experiences working as a scuba diver. “I use what I experience in the ocean and translate it into my designs,” she noted. The designer used handweaves to mimic the waves of the ocean through one of her looks as well as a blue macramé knit dress that evoked the vision of a woman emerging from the water.

For Aina, their collection was all about empowerment and joy, with a focus on how their designs can make people stand out and feel confident. Aina emphasized the importance of color in influencing moods and self-perception and aims to bring joy to people in a sometimes-frustrating world through the use of the sun and sunflower motifs. “Colors are a big part of our moods,” Aina said. “It changes how we see our days. It changes how we see ourselves.”

“IDEK (I Don’t Even Know)” was the theme of Jaiteh’s collection. “Last year, I was going through a rough time, and I felt like life just taught me something very, very valuable,” Jaiteh said about the concept. “I learned that the main point of life is not trying to figure out all the answers and have all the answers, but to just be OK with the unexpected.” The designer hoped to mirror this concept through tailoring, denim, sculpted menswear pieces and a lot of topstitching details seen throughout all of his pieces.

Finally, Reyes explored the idea of modern survival through his “Gettin’ Fly” collection, which featured security tags and fake money as embellishments. “It’s about what people have to do in order to look and feel their best — whether that’s stealing clothes, boosting or borrowing stuff from their friends,” Reyes maintained. “It’s about refusing to glorify capitalism, exploitation or the pressure to consume and perform.”

Dillane wrapped up the runway presentation by showcasing four of his own KidSuper looks before the evening culminated in a major surprise. Wyclef Jean closed the runway before welcoming Lauryn Hill to the stage, bringing two of the defining voices of the Fugees together in Brooklyn for an unexpected live performance. The moment came 30 years after the release of the Fugees’ landmark 1996 album, “The Score.”

“I can’t wait for 10 years down the line, we’ve changed billions of people’s lives,” Dillane added with a smile. “And I want to say thank you so much to Antonio Reynoso for putting his money where his mouth is and actually doing what I think politicians should be doing.”