A recent Gallup poll found that U.S. optimism about the future at an all-time low. Two months into 2026, people have been dealing with unpredictable tariffs and trade policies. Rising costs of living that stretch nearly everyone thin. Violence against peaceful protestors. Unraveling protections against climate change. Restrictions on freedom of speech. The vibes so far are, to put it mildly, not good.
Naturally, the Fall 2026 runways at New York Fashion Week—the official kick-off to Fashion Month in February—couldn’t help but reflect the ways designers are metabolizing the cultural climate. Nearly every show on the condensed calendar had something to say about the role clothes play when it feels like the world is in chaos. The way they each coped with big-picture issues through fashion, though, varied greatly from brand to brand.
From left: At Colleen Allen, TWP, Altuzarra, Michael Kors, and more, wrap coats and draped scarves took on the roles of elevated comfort blankets.
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It started with a hug—or rather, a series of scarves, shawls, and scarf-coat hybrids swaddling the wearer in velvet and wool, like an incredibly elegant comfort blanket. From TWP’s Nantucket minimalist runway to Michael Kors’s 45th anniversary celebration at the New York City Opera House, models cocooned to the highest degree, securing their outer layers with antique brooches, to dismiss any Snuggie comparisons. Still, it’s hard to view the pieces as anything but taking shelter.
Some designers became more cerebral in how they internalized the present by referencing the past. Marc Jacobs took a self-referential route, resurfacing and slightly tweaking the silhouettes and patterns that defined his tenures at Perry Ellis, Louis Vuitton, and, of course, the earliest Marc Jacobs runways. Calvin Klein looked to its pre-boxer briefs boom in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Even if the pieces themselves weren’t obvious throwbacks or allusions to a “simpler time,” they often were informed by something personal—like how Sandy Liang referenced her mother’s apron and a childhood bedspread. Tory Burch cut a new version of her father’s favorite corduroy pants. Kallmeyer‘s entire show notes were dedicated to memory—even if, from afar, the collection played back the tailoring she’s best known for.
After a triumphant runway debut for Proenza Schouler, Rachel Scott presented the Fall 2026 collection of her first label, Diotima, which more overtly engaged with what’s playing out in the headlines. Several pieces were created in collaboration with Refugee Atelier, a group she defined in show notes as “women from across the world whose skills carry their own histories of displacement and resilience.” Scott also engaged with the work of artist Wifredo Lam to inform who her woman is right now—someone who “refuses domination,” she wrote.
From left: At Diotima, Kallmeyer, Sandy Liang, and Tory Burch, among others, heritage and memory informed everything from artist collaborations to reimagining beloved family items.
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There were also moments where unraveling was the main mode of dress, from distressed shorts and ties at Coach’s fashion show to the ripped-up sweaters and decaying corsets at Elena Velez. Instead of retreating from the tumult, punk-rock flourishes suggested embracing it instead.
But the most optimistic takes emerged at NYFW regulars that encouraged their clients to fight back—and gave them the armor to do so. Some houses, like Ralph Lauren, Mel Ursine, and Christian Cowan, mixed Joan of Arc-esque chainmail with their fall riding boots and oversized coats. On Valentine’s Day, Khaite displayed several riffs on military jackets, reworking eighteenth century epaulettes and trimmings into heavy-duty leather.
References to battle dress ranged from chainmail dresses (Ralph Lauren and Christian Cowan, left and right) to eighteenth century epaulettes retrofitted into leather jackets (Khaite, center).
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New York City designers have always had a tendency toward modes of so-called “power dressing.” This is a market filled with career women who need outfits for their offices and work trips, after all. But the stronger-than-usual shoulders and glints of Camelot metallics said Fall 2026 can’t just be a season for retreating into nostalgia and comfort. With critical midterm elections on the horizon, it could be another time for change. So maybe, the answer is to dress like you won’t accept defeat just yet.