Aimee Yan reports on the Spring/Summer 2026 Ready-to-Wear collections in New York fashion week
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren understood this balance instinctively. Returning to the intimacy of his Madison Avenue headquarters, the brand unveiled Sensual Edge, a study in contrasts. Flowing silk dresses whispered of romance, their featherlight movement offset by sharply cut suits with strong shoulders. A restrained palette of black, white, and red allowed the conversation between tenderness and power to unfold in fabric rather than color. Lauren’s gift has always been timelessness, but here he found a new softness, as though even the most established codes of elegance could still be reimagined.
Calvin Klein
If Lauren painted in whispers, Calvin Klein chose structure as its dialect. Veronica Leoni’s vision pushed tailoring to the foreground: sculpted shoulders, bubble dresses inflated into bold volumes, fringe that swung with rhythm. The most striking detail was a recontextualization of the brand’s signature underwear waistband, suddenly no longer casual or imtimate, but elevated to runway language. Earth tones grounded the collection, black and white held it steady, making the everyday garment given new height.
Michael Kors
Elegance and ease shaped Michael Kors, whose show distilled glamour into something light enough to move with the breeze. Chiffon sarongs, scarf tops, and robe-like coats swayed with relaxed sensuality and soft tailoring, while leather accents and fringed details tethered the dream to the ground. His warm palette, browns and ecru—was pierced by jolts of olive, coral, and mustard, like sunlight catching unexpected corners of a city street.
Coach
Where Kors sought ease, Coach sought grit softened by memory. Stuart Vevers painted New York itself into the collection, the glass and steel of skyscrapers weathered by time, the patina of leather softened by years of use. Copper dresses, leather jackets, and the kisslock bag’s revival tied heritage to modern rhythm. It was less about nostalgia as a costume and more about New York’s soul.
Alexander Wang
In celebrating Alexander Wang’s 20th anniversary, the brand turned the runway into a stage for power. Models stormed through shadows, their pace forceful, their presence commanding. Wang’s familiar codes which is leather, sheer layers, dark glamour—remained, but there was a new lightness too: flashes of silver breaking through the dark, silicone-textured jackets, exaggerated fur scarves, all expanding the vocabulary of his aesthetic.
Alice + Olivia
Alice + Olivia looked outward, offering We the Women as a tribute to American women in the lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Stacey Bendet leaned on the visual language of American sportswear, simple lines, practical ease. Sequined gowns and embroidered skirts glittered like artifacts of a gilded past, while lace and florals kept romance alive.
Tory Burch
For Tory Burch, they take the brand in a fresh direction, moving away from its signature preppy codes to explore the multifaceted nature of femininity, where softness meets strength, and precision finds balance in imperfection. The collection features origami-collar polo shirts, tailored cardigans, ‘90s-inspired low-rise pleated skirts cinched with statement belts, alongside crinkled fabrics and leather trenches that heighten the sense of character. Floral prints bring a touch of innocence and romance, while beaded embroidery set against vintage leather creates striking contrast. They also turned antique embroidery samples into handcrafted details. With streamlined silhouettes softened by fluid lines, the collection blends romance and elegance together.
Sandy Liang
Sandy Liang reminded us that fashion can also being playful. Rooted in her Queens-born nostalgia, Liang sent ruffles, plaid, and Mary Janes down the runway, alongside lace and florals that felt almost dreamlike. Even laundry labels were turned into sweet design notes, with those pastel colours. Entire collection is just like a love letter to our childhood, a bit of innocent, and a bit of whimsical.
