THE LOOK
NYC is Still the Epicenter of Haute Style
Twice a year New York becomes the epicenter of style as the fashion elite and world’s tastemakers gather to take inspiration from the Big Apple’s latest trends – this phenomenon is known as New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
While tents taking over Bryant Park and dozens of paparazzi and style photographers lining up the park’s Sixth Avenue entrance may be a memory of decades past, the magic and originality of New York’s style scene is very much still alive, and this past season proved it. This NYFW showed why New Yorkers are still the original trendsetters and this was evident in latest collections seen from accessory presentations to runway collections.
ACCESSORIES ARE
HAUTE, HAUTE, HAUTE!
We New Yorkers know how to accessorize, and our designers prove it. Alexis Bittar has solidified its position as the ‘It’ brand that unites generations. Gen Z may know them from their presence on social while more mature audiences know the name thanks to their original jewelry designs that revolutionized the fashion scene when they first launched at the start of the millennium. The craftsmanship and clever whit in design was very much present this season with their latest presentation of scissor-inspired hardware on clutches and bags, oversized dramatic abstract shaped earrings, and their iconic bangles were still very much the hero of their collection. The inspiration for this latest collection was 1991 Miss USA which seemed very on-trend for the season as celebrating the nineties was very much a common theme felt across town at other showings.
BRING BACK THAT 1994 RELAXED FIT
The ‘90s relaxed fit was very much a hot trend seen on the runway from oversized blazers to loose-fitting tops and pants for both men and women. Calvin Klein, being the original master of ‘90s fashion of course owned this category, with a mix of oversized, flowing dresses with sinched waists for her and oversized sports jackets with impeccable shoulder tailoring for him. Everything was curated with a draping effect as to evoke an effortless look that was thoughtfully crafted to suit bodies in all the right places as to provide structure. COS was another brand whose presentation who was on theme – their minimalist aesthetic really allowed for ‘90s shapes like loose shirts and loose chinos to come through. With a palate of dark and neutral tones, the collection felt polished, functional and practical, fit for a modern-day Jerry Maguire boardroom meeting.
NY FASHION IS PRACTICAL, ELEVATED
AND ICONIC
One of the most memorable and ‘only in New York’ moments this past season was when one of NYC’s finest, Christian Siriano, celebrated the 40th anniversary of Macy’s signature label INC through a special collaboration with the retailer, which turned the flagship store at Herald’s Square into a star-studded runway that gathered A-List’s biggest names including Oprah, Gayle King, Whoopi Goldberg, Lizzo and many more. This wasn’t just a buzzy collaboration – this was an homage to New York fashion that displayed an array of practical and elevated looks from evening dresses to office chic pieces reminding us that we New Yorkers work hard but they style harder. The looks were true to New York uniform, with black being a common theme throughout the collection. With such a tribute to NYC’s style scene, it only seems fitting that the show take place at an iconic landmark like Macy’s HQ - it doesn’t get more NYFW than that.
BOHEMIAN VIBES ARE STILL GOING STRONG
Boho chic was a theme we reported on earlier this Spring, and six months later, it’s still very much a key trend taking us into 2026. Nowhere was this more seen than at PatBO. The Brazilian designer displayed an array of ethereal, flirty and feminine dresses that were scenes straight-out of a café on Copacabana or the Hippie market on Ipanema beach. Floral shapes and prints along with flowy textiles were very much on the menu, a common theme seen at other shows as well. The days of skinny jeans and suffocating cigarette-style pants are long gone.
The headline this season felt across the shows was that New York is still very much the authority in setting style trends. Paris, London and Milan may also hold weight as fashion meccas, but the original player was and will always be ‘The City That Never Sleeps.’ We have an original sense of style, which is why fashion’s greatest continue to flock here to show and take inspiration.