Closing Curtain on NYFW SS/26

by Daniel Quintero (IG @danielquintero)

As the lights dimmed and the last looks swept down the runway, New York Fashion Week SS/26 closed with the energy that only this city can deliver: a mix of fantasy, manifesto, and pure spectacle.

This season reaffirmed New York’s unique duality: the power of its established houses and the disruption of new voices.

On one hand, the week brought the expected grandeur. Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Coach, Alexander Wang, Area, and Khaite leaned into timeless glamour, iconic venues, and celebrity-filled front rows. Their shows celebrated consistency and brand power that we are used to, reminding us of New York’s central role in global fashion.

Yet the real heartbeat of SS/26 came from designers unafraid to challenge norms.

• Collina Strada explored the concept of “shadow selves,” creating a collection that felt both chaotic and intimate, playful yet vulnerable.

• Willy Chavarria presented an intimate show at Printemps, weaving heritage into sharply tailored silhouettes, making his Latino roots resonate across a global stage.

• Sloan debuted with a poetic presentation at The Ritz-Carlton, treating garments as amulets, and framing softness and vulnerability as radical acts of strength.

And bridging these contrasts, Latin voices once again stood out. Luar transformed Dominican carnival culture into a maximalist fantasy, while Kené Kaya brought Shipibo-Conibo artistry from the Peruvian Amazon to the heart of Manhattan.

From tinsel gowns at Area to Indigenous Amazonian patterns at Kené Kaya, the SS/26 season proved that New York thrives in tension: luxury and rebellion, spectacle and intimacy. The curtain may have closed, but its echoes will shape the conversations in fashion months to come.