How 2 designers weighed the costs vs. the benefits of NYFW

In 2026, as department stores place more conservative buys, markdown cycles move faster and digital customer acquisition costs remain elevated, independent brands are reassessing the role of a runway show in their broader business strategies. Especially for labels without conglomerate backing, a show’s cost — often reaching into the high six figures — must be weighed against returns, including wholesale confidence, editorial visibility, direct traffic and sustained pricing power.

Simkhai and PatBo have taken unique approaches to justifying their NYFW participation.

Founded in 2010, Simkhai sells dresses for $595-$1,295, relying on its use of premium materials, its runway presence and its international wholesale distribution to justify its margins. The label is stocked globally at retailers including Net-a-Porter and Selfridges, and is expanding its direct retail footprint. Simkhai currently has four stores, in Southampton, Beverly Hills, NYC’s SoHo and Dallas.

“I’m so proud of the fact that Simkhai is an independent brand,” founder Jonathan Simkhai told Glossy. His brand’s fall 2026 collection was unveiled at an intimate dinner in New York on February 14, hosted in partnership with Google Shopping. The brand has been working with Google Shopping since September 2024, when Google launched an expanded AI-powered virtual try-on initiative, making select runway dresses shoppable through the platform’s generative AI tool. “I have an incredibly talented team around me, so the biggest constraint is probably deciding where to invest in the growth of the business,” said Simkhai.

Also during NYFW, Simkhai presented a campaign in a gallery-like setting. Large-scale imagery — featuring actress Naomi Watts, model Kai Schreiber and musician Malcolm McRae — was displayed alongside selected looks on mannequins. Editors and retail buyers attended private appointments to see the clothes. Simkhai has historically staged a traditional runway show during Fashion Month in February.

“When we do show, we definitely see great wholesale excitement, huge spikes in press and social coverage, and an increase in site traffic,” Simkhai said. “For me, it’s not about showing or not showing every season — it’s about what feels right and what makes sense for me creatively and for the brand.”

The distinction reflects current pressures. Wholesale remains a significant channel for the brand, but retailers are buying more cautiously, according to Simkhai. Direct-to-consumer growth, meanwhile, requires sustained marketing investment amid rising acquisition costs. Simkhai plans to open additional U.S. stores at the end of 2026 and is expanding wholesale in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, making capital allocation decisions more consequential. Simkhai remains an independent, privately held fashion brand, founded and owned by designer Simkhai. The business has not taken on outside investment.

Though often described as occasionwear-led, Simkhai said the brand’s growth is coming from “daywear and wardrobing, with outerwear, separates, leather and suede pieces all driving customer acquisition and more purchases from our existing customers.” Simkhai also expects handbags, launched in 2023, to contribute to growth in 2026. In turn, these pieces made up a larger percentage of the fall collection than in prior seasons.

If Simkhai illustrates how flexible a brand can be with its Fashion Week showing, PatBo demonstrates continuity, albeit with similarly measured expectations of what a runway show actually delivers.

The Brazilian-founded label, known for intricate hand embroidery produced in its ateliers, typically sells dresses for $750-$1,800. It leverages its artisanal production and runway visibility to reinforce its high-end positioning. Nearly half of PatBo’s direct-to-consumer sales come from limited-edition runway pieces, according to the brand. The brand had not staged an NYFW runway since February 2024. Patbo remains privately owned by founder Bonaldi and has not taken on major outside investment.

“Showing [in New York] is as much about relationships as it is about ROI,” founder Patricia Bonaldi told Glossy. On February 13, Bonaldi presented Patbo’s fall 2026 collection, titled “Brazilian Bohemian,” at The Georgia Room in New York. The show’s sponsors included the rum brand Zacapa, along with Covergirl.

“The return [on a runway show] is measured in traffic and engagement in the weeks that follow, but also in the quality of connections we’re able to build with press, retailers and tastemakers.”

She added, “The runway is not meant to be a direct sales moment. It’s about building visibility and reinforcing our identity.”

PatBo has sought to diversify its distribution as it scales in the United States. “We’ve been intentional about building balance. We don’t rely too heavily on one channel, and that gives the business stability as we grow,” Bonaldi said. Around 50% of the brand’s revenue comes from wholesale channels including Revolve and Harrods.

“For any growing brand, the biggest risk is growing too fast and losing clarity,” she said. “The next level of growth comes from being intentional: choosing the right partners, entering the right markets and building at the right pace.”

As such, in 2026, PatBo is doubling down on statement occasionwear and international growth, using NYFW visibility and its Brazilian craftsmanship to strengthen its positioning in the market.

The NYFW styles that inspired consumers

Vétir, an AI-powered fashion shopping platform, found that some trends from New York are translating into measurable spikes in search and sales activity.

• Leopard print coats: +32% in searches following runway visibility at Carolina Herrera and Anna Sui
• Red handbags and shoes: +13%
• Velvet dresses: +8%
• Capes: +6%
• “Worn-in” leather pieces: Emerged as a top search term, driving the sale of two specialty “worn-in” Birkin bags
• Top-searched brands by volume: Khaite and Michael Kors

Earnings

• Moncler reported €3.13 billion ($3.4 billion) in 2025 revenue on Thursday. The company said it expects foreign exchange movements to reduce reported revenue by about 4% in 2026, including a 6% negative impact in the first quarter, due to current currency rates. Remo Ruffini will move into an executive chairman role as a new group CEO, Bartolomeo Rongone, joins in April. Management said Chinese spending on the brand is now roughly 70% onshore and that its prices will rise about 3%. Luxury Bernstein analyst Luca Bernstein said in a note that, “Moncler will need to seize 2026 as a year to reinvigorate aspirational interest in the brand.”

News to know

• London Fashion Week started on Thursday with shows from Agro Studio and Tolu Coker, among others. King Charles III was in attendance at Coker, just hours after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested for misconduct in public office and his links to the Epstein files.
• Ssense’s founders — Rami, Bassel and Firas Atallah — finalized a $58.5 million deal to buy the company out of bankruptcy, assume $18.2 million in liabilities (valuing the offer at $78 million) and retain ownership after a Canadian court approved their bid over lenders seeking liquidation.
• EBay acquired Depop from Etsy for approximately $1.2 billion in cash. Depop, the mobile-first secondhand fashion marketplace, reported roughly $1 billion in annual GMV, 7 million active buyers, with nearly 90% under 34 years old, and more than 3 million active sellers as of December 31. According to inside sources, if approved, the deal will allow greater interoperability between the two platforms for buyers and sellers.
• Brunello Cucinelli said it resumed shipments to Saks Global at the end of January and is receiving regular payments, expecting no financial impact in 2026 from the retailer’s Chapter 11 filing. The company previously booked an €8.1 million (approximately $8.7 million) provision in 2025 related to the bankruptcy, and said Saks, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman account for 7–8% of its sales.

Listen in

On this episode of the Glossy Podcast, the team recaps New York Fashion Week Fall 2026, with Danny Parisi joined by Zofia Zwieglinska, Jill Manoff and special guest Mandy Lee (@oldloserinbrooklyn) to unpack the defining themes of the season. The conversation explores the front-loaded schedule, the return of wearable drama, political messaging on and off the runway, and the tension between spectacle and substance in American fashion. Listen here.

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