NEW YORK FASHION WEEK SPRING/SUMMER 2026: DAY 1
BRANDON MAXWELL
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images BRANDON MAXWELL via vogue.com
Ahead of official calendar start, were a couple of brands that just couldn’t be skipped. Brandon Maxwell marked ten years in fashion not with nostalgia, but with forward momentum. At Sotheby’s, the collection opened with a neoprene-backed plaid blazer and a buckle-strapped bandeau, quickly loosening into silk knit fringe, funky layered A-line shirts, cowhide-print denim, and even zoo-animal illustrations. It was his lightest mood in years. Playful. Maxwell admitted he abandoned stiff samples in favour of joy, sparked by a trip to the Design Library in Hudson Valley. The result is a urbane sportswear with a Texan twang defined by bolo ties, bold buckles and feather-sprouting tracksuits. It’s a proof that Maxwell’s future lies in ease and wit with a touch of wonder.
PROENZA SCHOULER
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images PROENZA SCHOULER via vogue.com
Another ahead-of-schedule was first out of many debuts we’re going to see this season — Rachel Scott at Proenza Schouler. Her Diotima crochet is already iconic, and so it comes as no surprise that even in her new role, she leaned into texture. Laser-cut cotton floral cutouts, inverted jacquards with exposed threads, and chrysanthemum motifs blurred as if seen through foggy glass. Jackets reworked the house’s familiar blocks with new proportions and visible darts, and draped dresses hinted at easy, flowy allure, showing that Scott can really do it all. She called the show a collaboration with the team, focused more about learning the codes than rewriting them. Though this might not have been Scott at its fullest, the collection surely gave us a great peak into what’s to come at Fall/Winter 2026 show.
RALPH LAUREN
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images RALPH LAUREN provided by the brand
Ralph Lauren returned to Madison Avenue with a show that felt concise and celebratory. Fresh off a CFDA nomination (his tenth potential win), Lauren set aside last season’s velvets for a breezier mood in red, white, and black. Tailored suits were paired with bandeaus in place of shirts, trousers wrapped like sarongs, and straw hats and cabana stripes made us dream of that seaside ease at Hamptons. Eveningwear brought long slips cut daringly low at the back and dresses with a subtle shimmer, stripped of any excess details but unmistakably Ralph. It was a reminder that while longevity can be celebrated, maintaining relevant is the greater accomplishment.
MICHAEL KORS
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images MICHAEL KORS provided by the brand
The official first day of NYFW kicked off with none other than Michael Kors, who traded the city for the desert this season, planting cacti outside his Terminal Warehouse venue and sending out models looking sun-kissed. Inspired by summer travels, he blended polished tailoring with a looser sensibility: tailored jackets worn over sheer sarouel trousers, sleeveless blazers, and sarong-like wraps in soft sunset tones. Breezy wool crepe dresses, flag-like skirts, and silk scarf separates offered airy alternatives to “shrink-wrapped” clothes unsuited for rising heat. Even a perforated suede trench gave us that playful practicality. It was escapism with a pragmatic twist. Urban sophistication, but still very much Kors.
SIMKHAI
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images SIMKHAI via vogue.com
Jonathan Simkhai turned to California’s coast for a collection designed to lift spirits. Sequined mini dresses shimmered like fish scales, bodysuits were reworked in cable knits, and lace pieces, which was an homage to his grandfather’s Tehran mill, offered a delicate counterpoint. We saw some vintage cues appearing in distressed denims and crinkled leathers. Netted dresses strung with shell charms or mother-of-pearl links recalled treasures washed ashore. Accessories kept to the mood: sculptural-wedge flip-flops and leather net bags — perfect for an imagined getaway. Focusing rather on joy than reinvention, the collection channelled beachside ease with a playful polish that felt distinctly Simkhai.
GRACE LING
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images GRACE LING via vogue.com
Grace Ling’s Future Relics balanced the ancient and the futuristic with her signature precision. Metallic 3D-printed tops and dagger-handled bags met draped devoré shirts, scorched-hem tees, and body-sculpting jersey cut with daring precision. Structured jackets in satin and leather gleamed with piercing-like accents, while gossamer whites and fluid silks softened the edge. The cast, consisting of Ashley Graham, Quannah Chasinghorse, Precious Lee, Ugbad Abdi underlined her commitment to inclusivity, as did the mix of strength and vulnerability in the clothes. Ling mines antiquity for detail yet insists on pushing technique forward, proving her sharp, sensual vision is as much artifact as it is future.