New York Fashion Week FW26 is here and it’s another season of trend watching, celebrity spotting, and front row hopping. NYFW marks the start of fashion month, and already, with just a few days in, we have seen a lineup of seriously exciting shows that have set the tone for the weeks ahead. Proenza Schouler delivered possibly the most anticipated show, with the debut of creative director Rachel Scott, while Michael Kors celebrated the 45th anniversary of his brand with a standout show at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Here, I’ll be diving into the best of the New York Fashion Week FW26 shows.

Khaite

Images courtesy of Khaite

For Khaite FW26, Creative Director Catherine Holstein took inspiration from the vivid theatricality of ‘F for Fake’ by Orson Welles to create a collection that considers authorship, illusion, and the tension between performance and truth. In particular, the 1970s were a key influence – its flamboyance, its cultivated personas and its deliberate self-invention. This is shown primarily through the collections silhouettes and balanced with the sharpened precision of the early 80s. Velvet emerges as a key fabric of the season, absorbing and refracting light like a canvas on elongated tuxedos. While lace and leather balance softness with structure. Looks were accessorised with wallet chains and an evolved iteration of the Blake handbag.

Marc Jacobs

Images courtesy of Marc Jacobs

The show notes for Marc Jacobs; latest collection included ‘credits and receipts’ citing the nine collections that have influenced the designer. From Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 couture to Prada Spring/Summer 1996 as well as a few of his own collections between 1995 and 2013. Silhouettes were clean and boxy, many looks featured drop waist skirts that seemed to defy gravity. Pencil skirts paired with colour-blocking knits were a highlight and showed a clear reference to Prada. While tweed and plaid were seen across skirts, jackets, and trousers – a nod to Marc Jacobs’ time at Perry Ellis in 1993.

Area

Images courtesy of Area

The press release for Area Fall/ Winter 2026 by Nicholas Aburn came in the form of a script, showing Aburn’s penchant for theatre. The script starts with a woman explaining that she “longs to be seen”, which perfectly sums up a collection fit for a maximalist. Highlights include a matching denim set, slouchy rugby shirts, scarf dresses, and sequinned skirts and t-shirts with a print reminiscent of the El Món Neix en Cada Besada. Flapper-style skirts and dresses, embellished with the brand’s signature crystals brought a touch of vintage glamour. While the 80s dominated the collection in plush velvet, metallic fabrics, jewel-toned ruffles, and bold, angular shoulder pads.

Michael Kors

Images courtesy of Michael Kors

The Michael Kors FW26 collection was perhaps its most exciting to date. The brand celebrated its 45th year at the Metropolitan Opera House with guests including Uma Thurman, Dakota Fanning, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Kelsea Ballerini, Mary J. Blige, Martha Stewart, and brand ambassador Suki Waterhouse. The collection drew inspiration from the yin-and-yang of New York City, “this is the grittiest, toughest place in the world, but it can also be the most glamorous, magical place in the world, and that juxtaposition is what makes people interesting,” the designer noted in the show notes.

Michael Kors presented what he does best, a collection grounded in wardrobe essentials, but with an edge of dramatic simplicity. Highlights include train-adorned trousers, borrowed-from-the-boys shirts, opulent hand-embroidery, and cocktail gowns with trains that doubled as wraps. Kors’ signature camel and other urban neutrals were consistent, yet punctuated with power shades of ruby, raspberry, and wine.

Carolina Herrera

Images courtesy of Carolina Herrera

For Fall/Winter 2026, Carolina Herrera celebrated the designer’s roots in the 1980s. Creative Director Wes Gordon stayed true to the brand’s refined, ladylike silhouettes, sculptural tailoring, and love of floral motifs. Strong shoulders and voluminous sleeves were seen throughout, reinforcing 80s Glamoratti as a key trend. Though 60s influences were also evident with peplum hems and A-line dresses – giving the collection a retro, playful feel. Leopard print also appeared in a few looks, often paired with a pop of red or all-black.

Coach

Images courtesy of Coach / Isidore Montag

The Coach FW26 collection was held at The Cunard Building in downtown New York and evolved Creative Director Stuart Vevers’ vision of today’s youth culture. The collection drew on a diverse range of sources, from old Hollywood films to the grit of suburban skate culture and the youthful classicism of high-school varsity uniforms. “With its transition from haunting Film Noir sepia to brilliant, Oz-ian Technicolor, this season channels a shared sense of optimism as we follow a new generation into their next adventure,” said Vevers. Following the technicolour marvel of The Wizard of Oz, looks moved from black and white to vibrant hues. The overall palette incorporated classic Coach heritage colours, alongside Americana reds, whites, and blues. Each piece of ready-to-wear also has a counterpart created in grayscale, designed to recall the drama of the silver screen.

Materials in the collection feature a tactile mix of leather, shearling, wool, and repurposed denim. 40s-inspired tailoring was combined with 70s sportswear through flared trousers and A-line skirts with blazers. Floor-length, high-collared dresses combined classical elements of high fashion with grunge and old Hollywood was referenced again through fitted waists and embellished, padded shoulders. Highlights of the collection include varsity jackets in leather, wool, and shearling that were layered over cropped, 70s-inspired jackets. The collection is grounded by shrunken crewneck long-sleeve T-shirts, embellished with varsity stripes and numbers. As for bags, the Kisslock Frame bag is sized to fit beneath the shoulder and appears in Coach heritage tones of almond and maple, as well as plaid wool.

Proenza Schouler

Images courtesy of Proenza Schouler

For the Fall/Winter 2026 season, Rachel Scott made her debut womenswear collection for Proenza Schouler. The house codes remain the same, but this new Proenza Schouler woman is one shaped by thought, intuition, and contradiction. She is composed, yet mysterious and cinematic. She is disciplined but capricious. She is human. Rather than dress for one specific occasion, Rachel Scott has created a collection that can move easily between contexts – perfect for the global woman.

Dresses are lightly rumpled with irregular draping and tucks. Skirts twist and fasten across the back with buttons suggesting a woman in motion. Powerful silhouettes come in the form of truncated waists and elongated legs. While fabrics such as double-faced wools, matte viscose and Donegal knits help to support shape without feeling restrictive. Silk is crushed, pleated, then bonded allowing a balance between light and architecture. Photographic imagery of night orchids appears across the collection, in print and hand-painted leather. The collection includes updated versions of archival silhouettes including the Hex bag, a clutch and a bowler bag crafted from mixed materials. While footwear explores distortion through exaggerated square toes, sharply elongated kitten heels and satin sandals with shearling footbeds.

Read more Fashion Week coverage here.