Our lowdown of the runway moments you might have missed
New York Fashion Week has opened an exciting fashion month, setting the tone for Autumn/Winter 2026. Across the city, designers revisited heritage codes, sharpened tailoring and explored the tension between strength and softness, offering a season defined less by spectacle and more by intention.
Here, our edit of the runway collections you’ll want to be wearing next season.
Carolina Herrera AW26
Carolina Herrera unveiled an elegant show inspired by a powerful community of women in the arts. Under the direction of Wes Gordon, the collection honored creativity and individuality through sculptural silhouettes that balanced confidence with fluidity.
Exaggerated shoulders and cocoon coats contrast with streamlined skirts and a reimagined black-and-white Herrera shirt. A rich palette of ceramic nude, forest green, plum, celeste blue and chili red was layered with leopard jacquards, painterly florals and luminous gold eveningwear. Accessories, including refreshed Mimi and Karlita handbags, completed a collection defined by bold self-expression and modern elegance.
Ralph Lauren AW26
For Autumn 2026, Ralph Lauren looks to a woman defined by adventure and contradiction. A modernist with reverence for history, she seeks clothes that are both pragmatic and emotionally charged. The collection strikes this balance through a fusion of vintage-inflected tailoring, corsetry, chainmail-inspired mesh, and strong shoulders, set against a rich, earthy palette illuminated by metallic embroidery.
Long, fluid silhouettes dominate, punctuated by defined waists and expressive outerwear, from sharply tailored windowpane coats to distressed leather and leopard shearling. Textural contrasts heighten the narrative, as tweeds, velvets and jacquards meet supple cashmere and artisanal embellishment. Accessories, including riding boots and the new Deco Lock clutch, reinforce a spirit that is confident, fearless and unmistakably Ralph.
Michael Kors AW26
For Autumn Winter 2026, Michael Kors, who celebrates 45 years in the industry this year, embraces this milestone with a collection of city-chic day wear and evening glamour. Presented along the grand stairwell of the Metropolitan Opera House, the collection balanced structure with ease.
Long, sculpted jackets and asymmetrical suiting set the tone, paired with fluid scarf wraps and sharply cut trousers that underscored wearability without sacrificing impact. The mood moved seamlessly from day to gala, culminating in a closing look worn by Christie Turlington: a black open-sided cashmere top layered over a micro sequin floor-length dress, effortless yet celebratory. Accessories amplified the attitude, from oversized sunglasses and leather gloves to knee-high boots and refined handbags.
Tory Burch AW26
In the show notes for her Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, Tory Burch reflects on permanence in uncertain times, exploring the quiet strength of classics shaped by memory, utility and personal expression. This collection focuses on archetypes; refining classic wardrobe items like trenches, Henleys, boatneck knits and pencil skirts, offering a new, softened take on them.
Texture plays a central role. Cardigans shimmer with hand-applied Badla embroidery by Indian artisans, while brushed Shetland wools and washed silks introduce a lived-in ease. A new Bunny Knot motif, inspired by a detail discovered in Bunny Mellon’s Antigua home, appears across quilted shoulder bags and angular hardware, symbolizing connection and resilience. Accessories add instinctive contrast, from shell earrings and sardine pins to raffia and leather bags, pearl-stitched velvet pumps and sculptural loafers.
Coach AW26
Coach’s Autumn/Winter 2026 offering reexamines American heritage through a distinctly youthful lens. Under the direction of Stuart Vevers, the show at
New York’s historic Cunard Building, traced a shift from restrained monochrome to saturated colour, suggesting optimism layered over nostalgia. Tailoring nods to the 1940s, while 1970s sportswear codes surfaced in retro blazers, satin high-neck dresses, and grunge-inflected plaids styled with relaxed Bermuda shorts.
Accessories included the new Kisslock Frame Bag 30 and updated varsity jackets referenced collegiate archetypes, while the Soho Sneaker arrived in confident finishes. Celestial brooches and understated pendants softened the mood, reinforcing a collection grounded in individuality rather than spectacle.
