New York Fashion Week has kicked off in style, starting a month full of exciting fashion shows around the world. This event brings together top designers, celebrities, and fresh ideas from the fashion world. Shows happened in cool spots like breezy piers in Manhattan, sunny warehouses, and even inside an Episcopal church. While some big names like Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera, and Marc Jacobs skip the official schedule or don’t show at all, the city still pulled in huge stars to the front rows. This article dives into the highlights, from celebrity sightings to new talents and themes like community and dualities. It’s all about how New York keeps its spot as a fashion hotspot.
1. Celebrities Take Over the Front Rows
Fashion Week always draws A-list stars, and this time was no different. At Michael Kors’s show, actress Gwyneth Paltrow and “White Lotus” star Leslie Bibb sat front row, looking chic in the audience. Over at Veronica Leoni’s second collection for Calvin Klein, singer Rosalía, “Emily in Paris” actress Lily Collins, and BTS member Jung Kook turned heads. Fans of Jung Kook crowded the streets just to catch a glimpse of him, making the event even more buzzing.
Later, in Chinatown, car horns blared as guests rushed to Alexander Wang’s show on a corner of Bowery. Rapper Cardi B brought her daughter Kulture, and other VIPs like Martha Stewart, stylist Law Roach, and “Love Island” couple Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen (fans call them Nicolandria) joined in. The show’s guests sat at mahjong tables right in the middle of the runway, making them part of the action. This marked a comeback for Taiwanese American designer Alexander Wang, who stepped back after sexual assault accusations in 2020 and 2021. He apologized publicly and focused on growing his brand in China, even doing a show in LA in 2022.
Ralph Lauren went off-schedule with a show on Wednesday evening at his Manhattan headquarters. It brought the relaxed Hamptons vibe to the city, after last year’s event there. For Coach, ambassadors like actress Elle Fanning, actor Charles Melton, Storm Reid, and K-pop star Soyeon filled the front row. Then, stars like Jessica Alba, Emma Roberts, Naomi Watts, Tessa Thompson, and Mindy Kaling headed to downtown Brooklyn for Tory Burch. Elon Musk’s estranged daughter, Vivian Wilson, walked in several shows, including Prabal Gurung, where she wore an oversized white knit top and matching mermaid skirt.
2. Designers Build Community and City Spirit
Many shows focused on New York’s unique energy and sense of togetherness. Off-White, led by designer Ib Kamara, put on a bold, 1970s-style collection on a Manhattan high school rooftop basketball court. Models included Natalia Bryant (Kobe Bryant’s daughter), Iris Law (Jude Law’s daughter), and Julez Smith (Solange’s son). Street artists added murals honoring the city’s five boroughs, tying the show to local culture.
Coach’s creative director Stuart Vevers drew from New York’s mix of tough streets and shiny glamour. He showed baggy work pants, leather pieces, and plaid blazers in grays, tans, and whites to mimic old buildings and morning light. Accessories like snap coin purse necklaces, clutches, and earrings made from tiny real books nodded to the free book boxes on city stoops. At Collina Strada, founder Hillary Taymour had models walk in pairs – one in colorful outfits, the other in all black, acting like a shadow. The show notes said the shadows stand for humanity’s dark sides, which we should “befriend” and even bedazzle. It happened on a Manhattan pier at sunset.
Other spots included Prabal Gurung at St. Bartholomew’s church in Midtown, and Elena Velez at a cabaret venue where models walked the stage, bar, and mezzanine. Her theme was Great Depression-era dandyism with corsets, bonnets, garters, and tiered skirts in soft, dusty colors, plus pieces from lingerie brand Zhilyova.
3. New Talents and Debuts Bring Fresh Ideas
Europe has big debuts coming, but New York welcomed new faces too. Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, is now designing for Proenza Schouler. Her vision peeked in an intimate Chelsea gallery show, where she consulted before taking the full role next season. Nicholas Aburn’s first collection for Area mixed party outfits with everyday streetwear. It had sports jerseys combined, sleeves turned into skirts, and finale looks covered in colorful tinsel and gift ribbons. Backstage, Aburn told CNN it’s about nightclubs and New York’s mix of “avant-garde crazy characters” with “normal, chic people” – high and low, chic and crazy.
Jason Wu teamed with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation for the artist’s 100th birthday, inspiring collages for Spring-Summer 2026. Grace Ling used sculptural metal like leaves and branches. Luar’s show brought Dominican Carnival’s feathers and glitter to downtown Manhattan, noting it as “survival and celebration” against slavery’s legacy. Quannah Chasinghorse wore a hooded bra in one look.
4. Dualities and Optimism in Designs
Themes of opposites popped up a lot. Area’s show captured New York’s duality, as Aburn said. Tory Burch talked optimism through colors and textures, exploring women’s “complexity” – precision vs. imperfection, femininity vs. strength. Her slingback heels had dainty barbed wire instead of chains. Monograms featured her team’s initials, updating childhood memories. The collection had low-slung pants, embroidered suits from antique samplers, pleated skirts, belted pants, and airy dresses.
Khaite’s Cate Holstein stuck to power dressing with bold shoulders, clean lines, big shapes, and limited colors. She added flipped hems and asymmetrical gathers. Key pieces like leather jackets and skirts came in cherry red and mustard, with Kendall Jenner in a polka-dot skirt – a hot print now. Front row had Aubrey Plaza and Jenner.
Eckhaus Latta showed gender-neutral deconstructed looks in a hot gallery, like cut-out tees on male models, sheer knits, and mesh. Artist Martine Syms walked, and one model smoked a joint. Co-founder Zoe Latta said it’s about improving what they do, not reinventing every season for meaningful clothes.
Willy Chavarria did an intimate Wall Street show at the new Printemps store, showing womenswear from Paris with new additions. Models in Zoot suits, trench dresses, and hats held cards for purchases, like old salon shows, with martinis in hand. Colors stayed to white, black, and red.
5. Building on Classics in a Tough Market
With shoppers being careful on high-end buys, some designers extended past styles. Khaite grew as a headliner with intricate textures and bold shapes balancing structure and flow. Eckhaus Latta had knits, two-toned denim, neutrals with warm bursts, bubble hems, baggy jeans, and oversized baby doll dresses. Coach added mini duffels, coin pouches, mini books as earrings, maxi shift dresses with organza and celestial motifs, distressed knits, and multi-colored textiles in tans and grays.
Ralph Lauren had breezy blouses and statement earrings. Michael Kors sent earthy suits, with Amelia Gray walking. Off-White used color-blocked pastels or all-white with utility belts. Collina Strada had model duos posing backstage.
In a changing fashion world, New York Fashion Week showed creativity, stars, and city love. As the month goes on, eyes turn to Europe, but NY set a strong tone with community, dualities, and smart updates.
