Feb. 17, 2026, 9:37 p.m. ET
NEW YORK — And just like that, another New York Fashion Week has come and gone.
The week, which saw established and new designers present their versions of fall/winter collections for 2026, brought together stars and fashion industry insiders to preview the pieces and trends set to define the next season. From Anne Hathaway, Pamela Anderson and Rihanna to “Real Housewives” and “Heated Rivalry” stars, celebrity sightings in the front row prompted camera flashes and excitement on the sidewalks of Manhattan (and, at times, Brooklyn).
Fashion elite rushed around the city in street style that incorporated fur in the form of jackets, coats and scarves, bows both big and small, infusions of polka dots and stripes, and enough pillbox hats to make Jackie O. proud (many of which were made by New York milliner Gigi Burris).
In a week largely devoid of politics – but heavy on wearability and the reality of everyday dressing – “ICE Out” pins dotted lapels, collars and hats of attendees and models alike.
Get an inside look at everything the team at USA TODAY saw (and heard!) during NYFW, in order from sartorial start to finish.
Marie Claire x Who What Wear Friends & Family Cocktail Reception
Marie Claire and Who What Wear‘s cocktail reception at Kabawa brought together names like Lana Condor, Tefi Pessoa and Jessel Taank, who joined in the festivities as guests nibbled on oysters and mini beef patties (with goody bags presented by Maison BCBG on the way out the door). – Anika Reed
Black in Fashion Council Seasonal NYFW event
Right around the corner from the Marie Claire x WWW party, a select group of Black journalists, designers, stylists and more shared caviar bites and drinks at Raf’s with the Black in Fashion Council‘s fashion week kickoff. – Anika Reed
Libertine
In a sun-drenched studio just off Central Park, Libertine offered a preview of their earthy inspired fall/winter collection, structured coats and heavily embroidered pieces evoking the natural world, from a fish’s shiny scales to the brilliance of a full sun. One floor-length jacket, the same color as an inky blue night sky, has a slight sparkle from rhinestones that designer Johnson Hartig said were an afterthought: “Now it’s alive, it dances,” he says. – Anna Kaufman
Ralph Lauren
How Ralph Lauren continues to create a collection that’s both firmly rooted in the brand’s Americana ethos and distinctly modern and cool is a marvel each season. Only Ralph could make tweed, velvet, fur pelts and suiting sexy and recognizable and stylishly sumptuous. With an A-list front row to boot – Anne Hathaway! Lana Del Rey and her husband! Ariana DeBose! – and Gigi Hadid opening the show, this was the show to attend. – Anika Reed
Markarian
Designer Alexandra O’Neill was inspired by her time spent in South Africa, integrating zebra prints and an abundance of florals into this colorful collection. – Alyssa Goldberg
The Haute Potato Collection
What if I told you potato sacks made it to the runway? The Idaho Potato Commission teamed up with No Kid Hungry to present a one-of-a-kind fashion show featuring original designs by Cartier Dior Eliasen. The show, located inside Grand Central, greeted everyone with potato chip and caviar hors d’oeuvres, and at the end everyone took home a potato-themed gift bag (French fry lip balm included). – Joanna Marquina
Contessa Mills
Through an elaborate maze of gauzy white curtains, Contessa Mills‘ collection was a tribute to The Queen of Cups, a tarot card from a deck she and college friends learned to read. It tells you to lean into the emotional part of your brain, she says, referencing the fluid imagery on the card in mermaid-shaped dresses and blue sequined micro shorts. – Anna Kaufman
Ossou
New kids on the block Ossou debuted with its inaugural New York Fashion Week presentation, showing off a cozy collection of coats and pants, which featured plenty of denim and which the brand said was built around the idea of “winterized utility.” – Brendan Morrow
LoveShackFancy
On the Upper East Side, the LoveShackFancy show pulled a decidedly younger crowd. A milieu of moneyed teens gathered outside, looking straight out of the “Gossip Girl” cast. Inside, models donned a sea of frilly pink and pearl gowns as waiters in crushed velvet sport coats served up champagne. – Anna Kaufman
Cinq à Sept
At the Prince George Ballroom in lower Manhattan, a live choir singing ’70s classics helped usher in 10 years of Cinq à Sept. In keeping with the earth tones that seemed to dominate this season, the collection offered buttery brown leather looks, flowery romantic prints, fur accents and other mid-century aesthetic touches. Campbell “Pookie” Puckett looked “absolutely fire tonight,” as her husband would say, in a white high-neck number paired with tights. – Anna Kaufman
L’Agence
It’s always a party at L’Agence, with Cipriani drinks and hors d’oeuvres and a collection ready for a disco. Lacy party dresses, pearl-, gem- and feather-adorned ensembles, and leather trench coats and accessories (plus a Google installation?) defined the evening. – Anika Reed
Tory Burch
Pamela Anderson, Marcello Hernández and Tessa Thompson walk into a fashion show. Not the start of a joke, but instead the typical Wednesday night front row at Tory Burch, who brought together A-listers, sardine pins and pendants, colorful knits and a Dolly Parton soundtrack moment that had everyone singing along. – Anika Reed
Public School
Public School New York is back, and they’re seemingly better than ever. Both sharp and smooth (and “about resistance and surrender,” the show notes say), the collection carried that effortless New York cool factor. Singer Monica brought her son, Rodney Hill III, to his first fashion show – a lesson in true craftsmanship from Maxwell Osbourne and Dao-Yi Chow in their first ready-to-wear collection in seven years. – Anika Reed
Fang
Fang NYC‘s sophomore NYFW appearance drew a crowd more than twice the size of its debut. The gender-expansive label, launched in 2021, leaned into androgyny, with looks featuring stripes, checkers, mixed leather jackets and tiered sheer wool knits in petrol blue and black. – Rachel Hale
Tabbe Designs
Tabbe Designs delivered a delightfully whimsical presentation, in which models stood in place and blew bubbles into the room of guests while positioned next to large inflatable flowers.
It was in keeping with a collection of vibrant looks that designer Talia Abbe says was meant to bring “an inflated sense of joy into everyday wardrobes.” – Brendan Morrow
Hilá
Deep in the heart of SoHo, HiLA’s fall/winter collection was on view in a light and airy warehouse with soft jazz playing in the background. The designs mirrored a Pinterest board come to life, defined by “It Girl” confidence.
Black lace dresses with cutouts and draping that accentuated the body without leaning into too much structure made for a gothic, but somehow still sexy presentation. – Anna Kaufman
Jasper
Tucked into iconic first-date bar Jac’s on Bond, the Jasper presentation blended reds, blacks and sequins. The elevated take on the more conservative looks defining the season was inspired by 16th century Persian miniature paintings. – Anna Kaufman
Caroline Zimbalist
Caroline Zimbalist returned with wearable art, using sustainable biomaterials to uniquely sculpt and texturize her garments. Glass vases with pink orchids were placed throughout the presentation space, complementing the earthy tones and bright accents in Zimbalist’s designs. – Alyssa Goldberg
Pamella Roland
One of the more opulent shows of each season, Pamella Rowland did not disappoint, rolling out a pristine white carpet in the middle of the New York Public Library to showcase a stunning tableau of evening gowns. Nicky Hilton and actress Trinity Jo Li Bliss sat front row. – Anna Kaufman
Christian Siriano
Let’s make Leslie Jones the official commentator of the Christian Siriano runway every year: The comedian had Natasha Lyonne, Julia Fox, Whoopi Goldberg, Monica and the entire front row giggling with her runway narration, especially her “marry me!” moment with model Lauren Chan. The large, and largely wearable, collection from Siriano blurred dreams and reality. – Anika Reed
Nardos
Aretha Franklin once shadily said, “great gowns, beautiful gowns,” but in all sincerity, the gowns were beautiful at Nardos, hosted at the famed Plaza hotel. Impeccably structured, draped and embroidered, these are the dresses of awards show red carpet fantasies, works of art with a splash of cool. Titled “The Infinite Banquet,” the collection certainly ate up the “quiet authority in being the main course of a room.” – Anika Reed
Closr NYFW watch party
Watch parties aren’t limited to the Super Bowl, and Drishti Gangwani’sClosr, a shoppable platform that highlights emerging designers, proved that with a fashion week watch and shop event. While the Proenza Schouler runway show played on a massive TV, attendees could buy from designers including Cindy Castro, Old Folks and Delaluz. – Anika Reed
Cucculelli Shaheen
At Bowery Ballroom, a live band played for a raucous showing of Cucculelli Shaheen‘s 2026 art-deco-inspired collection. “NeverHave I Ever” star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan took in the designs in a detailed mauve gown of her own alongside “Pretty Little Liars” actor Tyler Blackburn, who kept his sunglasses on for the duration. – Anna Kaufman
Norma Kamali
Norma Kamali is making the case for animal print as a neutral and a closet staple. Leopard and cheetah print fur in snoos, scarves and dramatic coats ruled the jungle of sleek neutral basics, leather pieces and pops of red. – Anika Reed
Theory
An earthy color palette (each infused with a drop of black to give the otherwise bright colors a moody edge) and a pale baby blue sweater that I won’t stop thinking about, Theory showcased a minimalist presentation and gave out juices and waters as much-needed fashion fuel. – Anika Reed
Derek Lam
Models as far as the eye could see in an industrial space near the West Side Highway, plus a coffee bar and whispers from the Derek Lam presentation’s attendees: “So good, right?” A cozy and sexy all-brown look, with a feathery fur jacket and complementing loose boot-cut pants, lives rent free in my head. – Anika Reed
NYFW Collections Showroom
The NYFW Collections Showroom, which each season highlights emerging designers and fashion brands from across the diaspora, included a twist this year with access to explore the Institute of Black Imagination‘s book archive from André Leon Talley.
Elsewhere, ethereal sequined discs stood out at Shwetambari; Fang‘s runway collection display gave tactile access to plays on gender; Hertunba delighted with African textiles and craftsmanship; A. Potts‘ burst of rainbow dots accentuated everyday essentials; and Accorda created a fabulous office-to-drinks collection.
For accessories, Gwen Beloti brought delicate semi-fine and fine golden pieces; Jam + Rico celebrated Caribbean heritage through golden cowrie shells on bracelets; fine Italian leather mixed with comfort in Tiannia Barnes‘ shoes; while Vontélle popped out with funky frames that make you actually want to wear glasses. – Anika Reed
Dwarmis
Dwarmis served up a literal menu of looks, with models seated and standing around new restaurant Cuna in neutral looks that could fulfill that elusive “day-to-night outfit” concept with drop-waist dresses, scrunched up long leather gloves and elegantly easy jackets. – Anika Reed
Becca Flood
Just off the 2nd Avenue stop of Manhattan’s orange line, Becca Flood presented a collection of blouses and slacks defined by her signature statement arms, and a breezy blue and green palette. The looks were inspired by her childhood living a rural life in the Hudson River Valley. – Anna Kaufman
Fforme
Quiet luxury isn’t over, just re-Fforme-d in touches of fringe, slouchy suiting, furs draped on heads and strapped around shoulders and chests, or oversized golden leaves making up straps and collars. Spotted: reality TV and J. Crew alum Jenna Lyons and “Gilded Age” actor Morgan Spector and wife Rebecca Hall, who all made the front-row rounds throughout the week. – Anika Reed
7 For All Mankind
Calling all mankind: 2011 is back, and legendary denim brand 7 For All Mankind is the time-travel machine taking us there. AnnaSophia Robb, Aubrey Plaza, Chloe Sevigney, Kate Mara, Elsa Hosk and Natalia Bryant sat front row. Outside the show, one editor called the collection very “Jenny Humphrey-coded,” and that’s the only commentary you need. – Anika Reed
Romeo Hunte
The Romeo Hunte runway show was so packed that, after navigating the circus of spectators outside, one guest hypothesized that all of New York had been invited. The show featured a mix of experimental denim and eye-poppingly bright coats. – Anna Kaufman
Evan Hirsch X ShopGoodwill.com
Internet star Evan Hirsch presented a collection in collaboration with Goodwill centered on “found opulence,” highlighting the beauty of sustainability and rewear value with bold and avante garde looks. – Anna Kaufman
Sergio Hudson
Sergio Hudson‘s 10th anniversary was a sight to be seen. “The collection started” with the emotional live version of “Nessun Dorma” that Aretha Franklin sang at the 1998 Grammys, Hudson says. A stunning array of his signature suiting, boucle coats and gowns tailored to perfection. “That was kind of the catalyst for the collection, and so that’s why I played it at the end [of the runway show] … like the icing on the cake,” Hudson says after the show. The cake was all the more sweet for the milestone show, and the applause at the end of the song crescendoed with the standing ovation in the room at the New York Public Library. – Anika Reed
Christian Cowan
Christian Cowan‘s collection “reimagined garments once meant to be hidden,” featuring backless silk gowns, antique lace trims, waist clinchers and bullet bras. Front row stars included Julia Fox, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Bebe Rexha, and “Tell Me Lies” actors Sonia Mena, Spencer House and Brandon Cook. – Alyssa Goldberg
Boy London
The show, set in a church with pews for seating, began an hour late at 10 p.m. and sent attendees home with freaky little crochet doll keychains with the number 13 in red stitching, perhaps for the Friday the 13th show date.
The collection, all black save for splashes of red and silky cream and deep brown plum moments, wasn’t worth the wait but had bright spots in utility-style vests and jackets, a black funnel-neck piece with tiers of straps down and around like a straightjacket. – Anika Reed
Campillo
An inventive view of modern masculinity defined Campillo, with exaggerated shoulders and cinched waists with structured hips, plus fanned out feather embellishments, a serious black pony hair jacket and beautiful hardware in brooches and buttons for designer Patricio Campillo‘s fall 2026 collection.
With “ICE Out” pins being passed out and a little hair of the dog in miniature Don Julio bottles placed on the seats for those still running from Friday night, it was worth the 10 a.m. call time on a Saturday morning. – Anika Reed
Altuzarra
Altuzarra‘s latest collection felt like the wardrobe of a villainous movie character – she’s artful, she’s sophisticated, she’s outdoorsy in a rich way – in a film about a wealthy family hidden away at their country estate, where two-thirds of the way you realize the antagonist is actually a complicated heroine in exquisite clothing.
Aptly, designer Joseph Altuzarra built his fall/winter showing around a “distinctly Spanish lens” in which “personal style emerges as a form of self-definition, reflecting the layered identities and inner worlds that can coexist within a single woman,” per the show notes. He also sweetly gave out chocolates as a nod to Valentine’s Day. – Anika Reed
Esé Azénabor
Esé Azénabor‘s eveningwear collection featured luminous gowns with 3D floral textures and sculptural silhouettes, contrasting softness and glamour. – Alyssa Goldberg
Anna Sui
Anna Sui knows how to world build. Through booming songs like The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” or “Visage” by Fade to Grey, teased hair and an explosion of textural fabrics, Sui is ensuring the bygone New Romantic era and glamorous dressing won’t fade. An adorable dog seated front row turned its head back and forth as models in faux fur flourishes, ruched velvet and pops of pink in plaid, animal print and sequins strutted down the runway at one of the prettiest venues, the National Arts Club. – Anika Reed
Son Jung Wan
Creative director June Ambrose, “The Real Housewives of New York City” alum Kelly Bensimon and model Patricia Cleveland were spotted front row at Korean designer Son Jung Wan‘s runway show in Chelsea. Structured wool and felt tunic dresses and quilted coat-like bubble skirts commanded attention in shades of earthy russet, maize yellow, lacquered crimson and dusty mint green.
“I was inspired by sustainable values,” Son Jung Wan says in a post-show interview. “I wanted to layer and contrast the textures and silhouettes.” – Rachel Hale
Prabal Gurung
Though not quite the ethereal, heavenly vision of last season, Prabal Gurung asks “where is home?” with his fall/winter outing, “Home, Sweet Home.”
The answer, “not perfection, but resilience,” is woven into the brand’s DNA: quilted coats and trenches that feel safe, draping that hugs a woman’s figure, his quintessential airy feathered gowns. The collection “is not nostalgia. It is a search for sanctuary in uncertainty. Strength in softness. Hope in shadow,” Gurung wrote in the show notes. – Anika Reed
Kate Barton
Kate Barton’s presentation was unlike your typical NYFW event in that there were no real-life models or even physical clothes. Barton aims to blend tangible and digital mediums, and projected videos of real models – wearing real garments but filmed against AI-generated backgrounds – onto the walls of the presentation space.
While the designs themselves seemed lovely, the event left many guests, including myself, standing around asking, “Is this all it is?” – Alyssa Goldberg
Bronx and Banco
On a crisp Sunday morning in the Meatpacking district, Bronx and Banco presented an urban-inspired runway show complete with a yellow cab emblazoned with the design house’s name.
The instantly wearable looks wowed the crowd, perhaps as much as the models balancing in sky-high heels on cobblestone streets (only one took a serious fall). – Anna Kaufman
Rio
LA-based brand Rio took the East Coast by storm with an energetic runway, punctuated by the sounds of Planta Industrial, the crush of a mosh pit and “ICE Out” messages pinned to trapper hats and bodices of the latest collection, appropriately titled “A Poem and A Protest II.” – Anika Reed
Private Policy
Private Policy welcomed guests to the East Village music venue Webster Hall, with a to-go container of chow mein and Private Policy-branded chopsticks. When the lights dimmed, models strutted through the rows to the stage, showcasing workwear silhouettes that reflect the history and continued influence of Asian Americans in the workforce. – Alyssa Goldberg
Bibhu Mohapatra
Femininity took center stage at Bibhu Mohapatra‘s show, which was an ode to Brahmavadinī — Vedic female sages who broke beyond traditional domestic roles to pursue philosophical knowledge. Models in sheer chiffon and satin embraced long, fluid silhouettes, contrasted with structured jacquard pieces. Creative director June Ambrose, designer Sergio Hudson, model Katya Tolstova and actress Kara Young were spotted.
“It comes from the monasteries and the monks and all the sages from my culture, hence the burgundies and marigold,” Mohapatra says of the color palette after the show at The Pierre Hotel. – Rachel Hale
Zaldy
Designer Zaldy, who’s dressed everyone from Katy Perry to Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson, returned to his “home and studio for 20 years,” the Hotel Chelsea, for a brash and “deeply personal” collection titled “Boys Like Me,” playing on the fluidity of gender and gay iconography. Leather biker jackets and pants, hefty silver hardware and free-flowing shorts mingled with references to Victorian undergarments and the Armani of “American Gigolo.” – Anika Reed
Andrew Curwen
Andrew Curwen‘s collection “Nocturnal Conditions” marked his debut on the official CFDA calendar. His designs were reminiscent of gothic costumes, like something you would see in a cultish horror film; one of the models even let out a blood-curdling scream midway through the show. The designs featured corsets, bustles, feathers, ruffles, and a limited color palette of black, white and tan, with a splash of red. – Alyssa Goldberg
Dennis Basso
Dennis Basso showed off a collection of elegant gowns, cocktail dresses, jackets and coats, making use of tweed, satin, lace and silk. The designer said he was inspired by the “sophistication and allure of New York evenings.” – Brendan Morrow
Chuks Collins
Chuks Collins highlights the connective thread, literally and figuratively, of fashion in his latest collection, with exposed seams dripping down structured tailoring and slender knits amid a mix of trench coats, expressive fringe and silhouettes that play with volume in unexpected ways. – Anika Reed
J. Press
J. Press‘ latest collection comes Draco Malfoy approved: “Harry Potter” star Tom Felton was spotted in the front row for the runway show at the New York Historical museum and library in the Upper West Side. Models showed off a collection of Ivy League designs looking like they had just walked in from campus, in some cases while holding props like books, a bicycle and a pair of large oars. – Brendan Morrow
Leblancstudios
Leblancstudios unraveled the concepts of time, memory and personal mission.
“If I could control time,” an elder Black model proclaims at the start of a monologue to begin the show, titled “Nada Es Inocente.” Knitwear, school-like jackets and statement skirts and pants bring a distinct personality to the collection, “the result of searching for identity and individuality in a political landscape that punishes it,” per the show notes. – Anika Reed