From romantic nostalgia to bold cultural storytelling, New York Fashion Week proved once again why the city continues to stand as fashion’s most dynamic stage

Over the weekend, New York Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2026 continued to deliver standout moments, bringing together a vibrant mix of creative visions from the Nouvelle New Romantics at Anna Sui to the Cuba-inspired, Afro Caribbean influences of Rachel Scott’s second show of the week, this time for Diotima.

Here are the standout moments from a weekend that proved New York remains at its best when it embraces contrast, culture, and unapologetic individuality.

7 FOR ALL MANKIND

7 For All Mankind made its New York Fashion Week debut with a collection that leaned into early-2000s nostalgia. Under new creative director Nicola Brognano, the brand drew on the era’s “off-duty model” style, a time when young women dashed from show to show in skinny jeans with an effortless, nonchalant attitude. As Brognano put it, the goal was to capture a spirit that felt “rock and roll, sexy, and feminine” all at once.

Presented at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, the show centred on strong, wearable denim. The standout looks featured ankle-length skirts detailed with jean pockets, coated houndstooth prints, and studded pieces ranging from skinny jeans to tailored capes. The collection also included miniskirts and silk dresses paired with structured, puff-shouldered jackets. Nostalgia was brought back with chunky knit funnel sweaters, giving Olsen twin vibes from the early 2000’s. On the accessory side, crystal jewellery and leather bracelets finished the looks with a subtle mix of polish and edge.

Khaite

Creative director Catherine Holstein’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection embraced a moody, sophisticated palette grounded in weight and texture. Oversized leather, sharp tailoring, and the brand’s signature knits reinforced a look that has come to define the modern New York uniform.

Held at the Park Avenue Armory, the show unfolded beneath a sweeping 60-foot-tall LED installation of letters, numbers, and symbols that spanned the space, casting a sharp, focused energy that mirrored the glamorous crowd in attendance.

Among the highlights were  leather jackets paired with loose black trousers and pumps, along with sleek leather pencil skirts styled with chunky sweaters and sleeves pushed up with casual ease.

The overall collection brought a dance of contrasts, where softness met grit, and where familiar silhouettes unfolded in unexpectedly fresh ways. An element of surprise ran throughout, giving the lineup energy and range.

ANNA SUI

On Saturday afternoon, Anna Sui transported New York’s fashion elite to Gramercy Park, New York’s prettiest square, where she staged her show inside the National Arts Club.

True to form, Sui’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection unfolded like a dreamy, overstuffed suitcase bursting with flirty prints a retro inspired looks that leaned into the New Romantics of 1980s London.

The show opened with faux-fur mini jackets layered over purple chiffon dresses, plaid coats paired with matching skirts, jaguar-print twinsets, and off-the-shoulder tops. As it shifted into eveningwear, there were tulip-shaped brocade dresses, crushed velvet and beaded bodices, as well as cheetah-printed garments and footwear. The overall collection gave a fresh take on retro-inspired xxx, Hyper dressed up, yet somehow very downtown.

Diotima

The weekend wrapped with Rachel Scott’s second runway show of the week, presenting Diotima just days after unveiling her first full collection as creative director of Proenza Schouler.

Staged at Sony Hall near Times Square, the Diotima show drew a strong New York front row, including the city’s first lady, Rama Duwaji, and Joan Smalls, who turned out to support Scott for Diotima’s first official runway presentation.

The Autumn/Winter 2026 collection was created in collaboration with Refugee Atelier in New York, described in the program as “women from across the world whose skills carry their own histories of displacement and resilience.”

Taking inspiration from Afro-Cuban painter Wifredo Lam, silhouettes suggested powerful heroines, including dramatically flared coat dresses and riding jackets, as well as sweeping coats, often finished with bold peplums. Fabrics were rich and unexpected, from sheer textiles that revealed glimpses of skin to a striking distressed mohair blended with viscose to mimic fur, featured in the standout opening look.