THE ROE EDIT: NYFW Standout Shows of Spring/Summer 2026

Photos Courtesy of Michael Kors

For a while, people were ready to write off New York Fashion Week. Too quiet, too commercial, too irrelevant compared to Paris’ precision or Milan’s glamour. But this season? New York came roaring back. S/S 2026 was a reset — proof that the city still owns the ability to make fashion feel electric, democratic, and cultural all at once.

From Veronica Leoni’s razor-sharp Calvin Klein revival to Tory Burch’s quietly rebellious femininity, this was a week that declared NYFW alive again. And not just alive — resurrected.

Photos Courtesy of @calvinklein / @sophiaroe / @elsahosk / @

Calvin Klein: When Normal Becomes Iconic

If anyone was still doubting whether Calvin Klein could anchor New York again, Veronica Leoni silenced them. Her second collection was exactly what a legacy house should do: look forward by distilling what made it iconic in the first place.

She called it magnified normality. Translation? Everyday New York, but elevated. Pinafores, trenches, bathrobe coats that turned out to be laser-cut leather — these weren’t gimmicks, they were clothes you could actually imagine on the subway at 8AM, except impossibly sharper. Her winks to the brand’s underwear DNA — logo waistbands woven into tweed gowns, bras peeking under suiting — were clever, not cheap nostalgia.

Front row: Oprah, Naomi Watts, Jessica Chastain. Message received: Calvin Klein is relevant again.

Photos Courtesy of @toryburch / @syesly / @olivianeill

Tory Burch: Femininity With Bite

Forget polished Jackie O clones — Tory Burch is in her rebel era. Showing inside a grand Williamsburg bank, she stripped “ladylike” of its prissy connotations and made it cool. Think lamé intentionally wrinkled, sheer polos stitched with beaded “repairs,” and drop-waist dresses that felt more Midge Maisel gone rogue than socialite perfect.

Her words backstage? “I wanted the woman to have slept in her dress.” And she delivered. Low-slung skirts, pearl-embellished pumps, pops of pastel: playful, imperfect, yet chic as hell.

The point wasn’t just clothes. It was about mood — optimism in dark times, delivered with a wink. That’s the kind of femininity that matters in 2026: not polished, not predictable, but powerful because it doesn’t try too hard.

Photos Courtesy of @michaelkors

Michael Kors: Escapism With Ease

Michael Kors has always sold the fantasy of the jet-set life. But this season, it was more grounded, less yacht-in-Capri and more how do we bring nature into our urban chaos?

His Earthy Elegance collection leaned on easy glamour: suede shirts, scarf-draped dresses, kaftans in desert tones. Everything moved — fringe swinging, silk billowing — because, as Kors reminded us, New Yorkers are always in motion.

His statement stuck with me: “We invented ease.” That’s the American contribution to fashion, and his show was a masterclass in it.

Photos Courtesy of @ralphlauren

Ralph Lauren: The Legend at Home

There aren’t many designers who can stop Madison Avenue mid-traffic — but Ralph Lauren still can, 58 years in. The icon staged his show at HQ, bringing in Oprah, Priyanka Chopra, and Laura Dern to witness what he called “strength and sensuality.”

It was Ralph 101, but pared back: crisp whites, Big Apple reds, sculptural jewelry, wide-leg tailoring. It didn’t reinvent the wheel, and it didn’t have to. Sometimes resurrection isn’t about reinvention — it’s about reminding everyone who built the foundation in the first place.

Photos Courtesy of @rosiehw

Khaite: New York Cool, Weaponized

Catherine Holstein doesn’t just design clothes — she designs an attitude. Opening with jeans, a blazer sliced at the sides, and slingbacks, she immediately flexed her formula: stealth luxury, razor-sharp tailoring, and a bit of danger.

Accessories were everywhere — blazers, pencil skirts, sheer blouses layered with pompoms and embroidery. Giant polka dots on low-slung skirts added playfulness, but the vibe was always: she’s powerful, she’s untouchable, she’s probably late for dinner in SoHo.

Khaite keeps winning because it knows the New York woman better than anyone — not soft, not apologetic, but always devastatingly chic.

Photos Courtesy of @theimpression_

Toteme: Undone is the New Luxury

Toteme knows its woman, and it knows she doesn’t have time for perfection. Elin Kling and Karl Lindman leaned into undone beauty, deconstructing tanks, trenches, and pyjama sets in black, white, and the subtlest hints of pink and beige.

It was a capsule wardrobe for women who live between Manhattan boardrooms and Hamptons weekends — sharp, effortless, with a quiet confidence that whispered luxury instead of shouting it.

The Resurrection

This season wasn’t just about standout collections. It was about energy — a collective refusal to let New York fade into irrelevance. Calvin Klein gave the city its anchor, Tory Burch injected rebellion into femininity, Ralph Lauren reminded us why he’s still king, and the new guard (Toteme, Coach, Rachel Scott, Nicholas Aburn at Area) made the week feel fresh.

Fashion month always begins in New York, but this year, it felt like the city had something to prove. And it did. NYFW is back. Resurrected, recharged, and ready to lead.