“In times of war, fashion designers show floral prints,” Miguel Adrover quips sardonically in The Designer is Dead, a new documentary from Gonzalo Hergueta which screened on the first night of New York Fashion Week. With that sentence, Adrover, a prominent designer from the turn of the millennium whose cult following has only increased since his withdrawal from the industry over a decade ago, elucidated much of what American designers would present on the runways throughout the course of the week: At a time of social and political unrest in the United States, American fashion has opted for gloss and glamour, with varying degrees of success. (edited)
The overarching theme of recent New York Fashion Weeks had been one of pragmatism dominated by a singular, and very monotonous, idea of taste: Outerwear and plain dresses and simple separates fashioned in cozy materials and neutral tones—camel coats, navy crewnecks, and lots of gray. It would be too simple to call this a consequence of the “quiet luxury” craze of 2024. Rather, it was the trickling down effect of labels presenting the exact aesthetic to commercial success in Europe: The Row by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, Toteme by Elin Kling and Karl Lindman operating under the influence of Phoebe Philo, the former Celine designer who launched her own label in 2023.
As the luxury industry underwent a time of volatility and change—the defenestration of the multi-brand retailer system compounded with a “musical chairs” switcheroo of designers at major labels including Gucci, Chanel, and Dior—designers stateside retreated creatively, conceding to commerciality. While this still rang true at the Fall/Winter 2026 shows in New York, which wrapped on Monday, the emerging throughline was slightly different. Wearability is still the guidepost—sportswear remains the great tradition of American fashion and its truest sartorial legacy—but designers this season seemed to, for the most part, propose adding a bit of pizzazz to the mix. If today one can find cashmere sweaters and supple camel coats at J.Crew, and major luxury designers are behind collections at the Gap and Banana Republic (Zac Posen) and Uniqlo (Clare Waight Keller), what makes American luxury worth buying into?
Sequins, paillettes, a little decadence, and other suggestions about how to dress up.