New York Fashion Week sees major brands taking new directions in 2026

As another season of Fashion Week unfolds, there’s plenty to anticipate.

New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter shows ran from Feb. 11-16. The shows are hosted across Manhattan in various venues and have free pop ups from different brands.

Major shows include Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Coach, Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch and Sergio Hudson. Designers and brands making their NYFW debut are 7 For All Mankind, AKKI, ALIX OF BOHEMIA, Andrew Curwen, Avon Anglers, Caroline Zimbalist, Contessa Mills, Cult Gaia and Evan Hirsch.  

Feb. 11 kicked off fashion week with shows from Proenza Schouler, Coach, LoveShackFancy, Collina Strada, Tory Burch and many more.

Proenza Scouler’s collection showcased current and previous collections. Women have always been important to Proenza Scouler, and Creative Director Rachel Scott took that in a new direction. The brand’s focus has always been on craft and traditionally feminine art forms like crochet, embroidery and knitting, all of which are important to Scott.

The collection itself mainly showcased neutral colors with pops of red throughout the lineup. The collection had a mix of dresses and pantsuits. Many of the pieces have similar silhouettes and structures, creating a cohesive display. Scott said the collection had “a little off-kiltered, a little haphazard” feel to it, according to AnOther Magazine, apparent throughout each look. Some dresses were overall chaotic with misbuttoned sections and necklines yanked off. Crocheting also had a huge impact on this collection, with double-breasted skirt suits paired with knit and ribknit polo dresses.

Coach showed some looks, with a heavy amount of blacks and reds with different fabrics like leather and denim. The collection’s vibe was a mixture of casual and semi-formal, with the semi-formal clothes having a fun twist — no shirts, splashes of color or fabric mixing. 

A few celebrities in attendance at Coach’s show were Tyriq Withers, Emily Bader, Elle Fanning, Odessa A’zion, Storm Reid and Caleb McLaughlin. Twitch streamer Valkyrae, Mckenna Grae, Avantika and Ella Mae were also in attendance.

On Thursday, Carolina Herrera took the runway with a magnificent display of animal motifs. Along with animal prints, floral visions of calla lilies dominated the runway.

The collection had an abundance of pencil skirts and dresses that had a distinct 80s style. There were an abundance of ruffles throughout the clothing, and the lilies were on the jackets, buttons of jackets, dresses and skirts. The collection had brown, black, white, grey, purple, pink and red, as well as just a touch of gold. Overall, this collection emphasized self-expression.

Micahel Kors had a show Thursday at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. The venue was decorated in chandeliers, dark, dramatic lighting and a red carpet. The collection held a mix of “classic” Michael Kors and new-aged Michael Kors. While darker colors dominated,  splashes of baby blue, reds and lighter browns also took the stage. There was a sophisticated aura around the collection, with every model sporting a tailored look. According to Vogue, Kors said that “New York is about resilience, strength, grit and curiosity,” which is notable in the entire collection.

LoveShackFancy went in a different direction, with their collection being a “love letter to nostalgia, heritage and the Western Spirit.” Staged at Cooper Hewit, the collection was “a little Blair Waldorf meets Marie Antoinette — if she had an iPhone,” according to Rebecca Hessen Cohen.

The outfits themselves were lovely, with baby pinks and brown, as well as black and whites dominating the runway. Many of the garments had lace and beading, a new addition for the brand. Aesthetics were a big part of the show, with even the waiters sporting pink velvet blazers.

Many of the garments carried Edwardian-inspired silhouettes, and overall, everything about LoveShackFancy’s runway was romantic and timeless.

Snow Xue Gao presented her runway on Friday. Her garments consisted of practical — yet fashionable — items. Gao wanted to “make an elegant kind of draping, associated with the bygone era of daywear, feel intuitive and easy,” according to Vogue, which is shown through her chosen color palette and silhouettes. Gao’s garments incorporated built-in blanket scarves and asymmetrical silhouettes.

Alice + Olivia held their runway on Saturday. This collection used AI as a basis of inspiration.

“I feel like the moment we’re in with AI and how it’s transforming everything in the world is similar to the Industrial Revolution and how the Gilded Age came to be,” Stacey Bendet, founder and CEO of the company, said. “We used AI to take things that we had sketched, rendered and worked on for prints, to then make into these photo-real versions that we could execute.”

This season highlighted several recurring themes: neutral palettes accented with red, a resurgence of animal print, embroidered details, faux fur, feathers, brooches and low-waisted belts. Designers elevated everyday essentials into high-fashion statements, balancing structure with experimentation.

Although Fashion Week has officially concluded, the Fall/Winter shows offered a strong preview of the trends and creative directions shaping the upcoming season.