New York Fall 2026 was a season of milestones and fresh starts, from Michael Kors celebrating 45 years at the Metropolitan Opera House and Ralph Lauren’s moody country estate to Nicola Brognano’s debut at 7 For All Mankind. Khaite, Coach and Anna Sui delivered the standout moments, while Calvin Klein and Area were still searching for their footing. Here is a quick overview of every show we reviewed, with a short take and a few looks from each. The full reviews are linked under every house.
Want to compare seasons? Read our New York Spring 2026 overview and New York Fall 2025 overview, or browse every city in our Fashion Week coverage.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren does not need to prove longevity, but this season was a reminder of why he is still relevant. He staged Fall 2026 at the Jack Shainman Gallery, transformed into a moody country estate with forest murals, antique rugs and velvet curtains. Texture led the narrative, with more than 50 custom fabrics: corseted Donegal tweed, weighty bouclé, distressed leather aviator pants, smocked taffeta and chainmail knits. The balance was classic Lauren, riding boots under sweeping skirts and a tweed blazer over a beaded evening dress. Gigi Hadid opened in a bouclé tweed corset and closed in a brown velvet halter gown. Strength and romance, armour and softness. At 86, he is refining a world he built decades ago… Read the full Ralph Lauren review
Calvin Klein
Veronica Leoni’s Calvin Klein Collection felt like an attempt to reconnect with the brand’s foundation, but the result landed somewhere in between. She looked back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, which meant lean tailoring, sleeveless power suits and precise coats. At its best there were glimpses of a relevant Calvin Klein: clean satin dresses, leather bombers and a recreated pair of archival 1976 jeans. But transparent leather trenches, sculptural collars and bursts of clementine orange made it feel strangely unfocused, and the final look broke the mood entirely. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t convincing either. Minimalism only works when it feels intentional, and Leoni still seems to be searching for the Calvin Klein that belongs to now… Read the full Calvin Klein review
Michael Kors
Michael Kors is one of those designers people love to underestimate, but season after season he reminds you why he lasts. Celebrating 45 years of the brand inside the Metropolitan Opera House, the show leaned into New York’s contradictions, glamour and grit. Essentials came first: camel coats, black turtlenecks, white shirts. What felt fresh was how he softened them, with blazers extending into trailing panels, trousers with unexpected skirt backs and turtleneck dickeys. Feathers and paillettes landed on button downs and T shirts rather than gowns, which made glamour feel wearable. Christy Turlington closed in a black top with a train and shimmering trousers. Kors knows his woman, and forty five years in, that clarity still feels powerful… Read the full Michael Kors review
Coach
Coach is cool. That much feels settled. But this season Stuart Vevers was sharpening it, and the styling stood out, true to the street. The collection explored America through youth culture and nostalgia, pulling from ’70s sportswear, film noir, varsity uniforms and even The Wizard of Oz, shifting from greyscale into richer colour like a film moving into Technicolor. Distressed denim, inside out tailoring and patchworked fabrics gave everything a worn in softness, while shrunken jackets, flared trousers and lace trimmed dresses kept silhouettes slimmer. The accessories were especially strong, the kisslock frame bag one of the most memorable pieces, alongside bags in repurposed sports leather. Coach understands its audience and respects them, and you have to love that… Read the full Coach review
Tory Burch
Tory Burch felt almost free floating, but still deeply feminine. This was upscale dressing that stayed approachable, bright without losing its polish. The starting point was personal: her father’s corduroy trousers, reworked into slouchy wide wale pants in apricot and saffron. Crewneck sweaters over collared shirts and roomy shirtwaist dresses felt grounded in real life, but the magic was in the details. The mukaish embroidery on a beige gold coat was sublime, metallic landscape jacquards made outerwear expressive, and sardine pins and raffia bags added personality. Bunny Mellon’s instinctive elegance shaped the mood, with drop waist dresses and sheer ribbed knits. Pragmatic and wearable, but never boring. Where many designers are searching for meaning, Burch offered something simple and honest… Read the full Tory Burch review
Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera felt rooted in New York, and in the kind of woman Wes Gordon understands instinctively: cultured, artistic and in motion. This season celebrated women in the arts, with artists like Amy Sherald, Ming Smith and Rachel Feinstein walking a runway set up as an artist’s studio with hand painted murals. It felt organic, not forced. Wardrobe separates led, sculpted jackets, pencil skirts and printed blouses, with a standout black suit covered in colourful flowers, plus animal prints and calla lily details. For evening, Gordon swapped traditional gowns for cocktail dresses and sequined knit separates, beautiful but leaving you wanting a bit more drama. Still, it succeeded in what it set out to do, a sincere kind of elegance… Read the full Carolina Herrera review
Khaite
Catherine Holstein staged Khaite’s show like a full experience, cinematic but very current. This collection was stunning in its confidence: power dressing, rewritten for the cool girl right now. Tailored leather jackets, officer coats with decorative braiding and structured trousers gave it backbone, authoritative without losing sensuality. She balanced that sharpness with sheer organza dresses, lace slip gowns and midi skirts, and that mix of hard and soft was one of its strongest points. Crocodile coats, velvet, lace and leather meant nothing felt flat. Pointy pumps, intentionally wrinkled boots, claw-like nails and dark sunglasses added a slightly gothic, rebellious energy. Inspired by Orson Welles’ film F for Fake, the military references and dramatic evening silhouettes worked together without feeling forced… Read the full Khaite review
Thom Browne
There is something about a Thom Browne collection that always feels reassuring. Presented at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor ahead of the Super Bowl, this was less about reinventing Browne than reminding everyone why his vision matters. It centred on his signature tailoring: sack jackets, cropped trousers, kilts and bermuda shorts, with grey suits alongside shearling duffle coats and flight jackets in waterproof cashmere. A Nantucket winter scene ran across jackets and skirts, and the elongated leather Perfecto jackets felt especially strong. A tulle trench and an embroidered cape closed the show. Even with NFL players on the runway, it never leaned too far into spectacle. Sometimes the most powerful thing is returning to what you do best… Read the full Thom Browne review
Altuzarra
Joseph Altuzarra’s collection felt like a full commitment to texture, volume and statement outerwear. The coats carried it: cocoon shaped peacoats with oversized lapels, brushed shearling bombers and heavy leather jackets that felt protective and bold, with a bulkiness that worked in their favour. Shearling, suede, tweed, lace and fringe felt rich but not chaotic, from a turtleneck that extended into a cape to carpenter pants in plush suede. Flamenco inspired skirts nodded to Spanish art and cinema. At times it felt very commercial and lacked the surprising moments that define a season, but the desirability was undeniable. There was also an energy that recalled the effortless chic of Phoebe Philo’s Celine, in its quiet confidence and luxurious essentials… Read the full Altuzarra review
7 For All Mankind
Nicola Brognano’s debut for 7 For All Mankind was one of the coolest moments of New York Fashion Week. It felt like stepping into the mid-2000s, without the irony or costume energy that usually comes with nostalgia. Imagine an Olsen or Kate Moss running around the city in 2006, slightly dishevelled but impossibly chic. Skinny jeans made a confident return with shrunken jackets, sheer blouses and babydoll dresses. Denim stayed the core but was pushed further, like a cropped jacket that looked like waxed leather. Mussed hair, Ray-Ban Wayfarers, platform heels and giant handbags gave it that messy indie sleaze energy, sexy and careless in the best way. A clear hit, and a strong new chapter for the brand… Read the full 7 For All Mankind review
Anna Sui
Anna Sui’s show felt like stepping inside one of those perfectly chaotic, hyper-maximalist rooms you save on Pinterest. She looked to London’s Blitz nightclub era and the rise of the New Romantics, which showed up in dramatic brocades, faux-fur trimmed coats and bold matching sets. A black and silver floral brocade pantsuit was especially striking, with jaguar prints and jewel tones adding intensity. The styling was insane, clashing prints carried by confidence, and it was maximalism done with precision. There was real joy too: the models looked happy, and the salon setting at the National Arts Club felt intimate, like a community. While much of fashion leans neutral, she stays committed to fantasy, individuality and optimism. Anna Sui is essential… Read the full Anna Sui review
Area
Nicholas Aburn’s second collection for Area felt different, like a new brand trying to find its footing. The Area quirk and unpredictability were quieter, and it felt more commercial than expected in a New York season already leaning safe. His concept was glamour as personal power, a high-low mix of twisted denim minis, belted jackets, vintage silk scarves reworked into draped tops and hoodies turned into dresses. Jewel toned lamé dresses nodded to 1980s eveningwear, while shredded fabrics, cassette tape details and sequined abstract faces pushed beyond the signature crystals. The craftsmanship was thoughtful, but the magic was missing. This felt like a transition. The ideas and skill are there, but the spark that made Area slightly chaotic was missed… Read the full Area review
Ashlyn
Ashlyn was everything you want from a classic New York runway collection: sleek, sophisticated and essential, without trying too hard. Ashlynn Park continues to prove that impact does not need excess. The season was built around restraint and release, clearest in her cashmere and tweed jackets, precise but never stiff. Airy knits, slouchy jersey pants and peplums kept the looks grounded in reality. American staples like the white shirt and the winter coat were reworked with raw edges and sculpted waists, and a snowy bouclé coat and fringe knit skirt added texture. Even the closing white wool silk taffeta gown, sculptural and open-backed, carried the same calm clarity. Ashlyn is building a wardrobe, and it feels more relevant than ever… Read the full Ashlyn review
Christian Cowan
This was different from what Christian Cowan usually does, and the shift worked in his favour. Instead of loud, high-energy camp, it leaned intimate and sensual, cinematic almost like a scene from Wuthering Heights. Exploring the private moments of getting dressed and Hollywood starlets of the 1920s through the 1950s, he reworked archival lace and vintage lingerie. Bullet bras, garter belts and corsetry became central, alongside dishevelled lace slips, liquid silk gowns and fur-trimmed jackets. Structured tailoring and low-slung trousers grounded the fragile fabrics. The show opened strongly but moved quickly, and the crystal closing look did not quite deliver its emotional peak. Still, this was one of his most compelling collections, more mature and more confident in its restraint… Read the full Christian Cowan review
Diotima
Rachel Scott is shaping Diotima into one of New York’s most reliable and compelling voices, and this collection felt sophisticated, grounded and incredibly self assured. Inspired by Cuban modernist artist Wifredo Lam, she did not translate his art literally but captured its emotional weight through structure and material. Outerwear stood out, from brushed alpaca coats with dramatic collars to checked trenches. The tailoring was some of her strongest yet, with trouser skirts and clean lines enriched by dense jacquards, soft mohair and layered organza. It felt rich, but never heavy. Sheer knits, crochet and fluid skirts kept everything wearable and human. Craft stayed central through collaborations with refugee makers and Jamaican crochet specialists, but beyond technique, this collection showed evolution… Read the full Diotima review
LaQuan Smith
LaQuan Smith wanted something more modern and direct. The idea was strength, confidence and seduction, though it read less like the timeless femme fatale and more like a Gen Z interpretation. It opened with strong outerwear, moto jackets reworked into short coat dresses and oversized shearling pieces. The shearling fur trims added drama, though some leaned slightly flashy and lost the elegance the theme promised. The satin tops were among the best pieces, naturally sensual, and tailoring played a bigger role with velvet pinstripe suits and tuxedo-inspired shirts. Lace catsuits and embellished pieces brought back his provocative instincts, a few veering into slightly gaudy territory. Overall, it showed clear evolution, with Smith expanding his world beyond nightlife dressing… Read the full LaQuan Smith review
Prabal Gurung
Titled Home Sweet Home?, Prabal Gurung’s collection was luxe, glam and elegant, but not in a loud or obvious sense. This was dramatic quiet luxury. It opened with black and white suiting referencing his Catholic school uniform, softened with drape and lace trims. Elegance with backbone. Quilted coats inspired by school duvets and nun habits looked rich and tactile. Eveningwear leaned into glamour: draped gowns, feathers and pearls in deep plums, charcoals and sapphires. These were not carefree party dresses. At times it could have used more visual cohesion, and not every transition felt seamless, but strangely that did not take away from the impact. This was about home, identity and strength, and more than anything Gurung delivered a feeling… Read the full Prabal Gurung review
Ulla Johnson
This Ulla Johnson collection felt like a shift, and not entirely in the way you might expect. After last season’s warmth and clarity, it came across more scattered, without that signature sense of sunshine and ease, though there was still something youthful and appealing about it. Johnson framed it as strength and softness: structured tailoring beside delicate slips, sheer fabrics with chunky knits, plus dressed-up denim, bohemian dresses and 70s-inspired suits. Emerald, cherry red, fuchsia and cerulean blue brought vibrancy, and the craftsmanship was striking up close. It did not deliver a fully unified story, but so many individual pieces were desirable. Even in transition, Ulla Johnson knows how to make clothes people genuinely want to wear… Read the full Ulla Johnson review
Pictures courtesy of Vogue Runway
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