The best New York Fashion Week spring 2027 shows all alluded to the idea of home; one way or another.
At Thom Browne’s spring 2027 show, a dark, seductive fantasy of a human-made garden at The Shed was the center of attention. The models wore ladybug dresses, butterfly gowns, cartoon bug shoes with antennas and intricate suiting remixed in all manners of prints: buffalo checks, windowpane, stripes, plaid galore. Monumental, sculptural faux blades of grass surrounded equally huge daisies with a delicate white cocoon in the center of the runway. The collection itself was entirely centered around A Bug’s Life, and backstage after the show Browne told press he chose it for its childlike nature to make people smile. It was the final show of the spring/summer 2027 fashion week and hit the nail on the head, of a feeling, or topic, that almost every designer seemed to touch on in prior days. In every kind of way, it felt like designers were playing with the idea of remembrance tied to identity; a past that’s impossible to reclaim. In other words: a homecoming, but not at all as simple as it sounds.
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Likewise, other designers tried to capture the feeling. Monse is having a bit of a revival as designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia have fully committed to the brand after leaving Oscar de la Renta. The duo fully dedicated their collection to tulips and had them cascading down dresses in the light of a glass penthouse in Brooklyn. Collina Strada took guests upstate to Storm King, toes in grass, wild and free. Pipenco gave us glorious knits presented on green grass, alluding to Romanian folklore of the forest. Jane Wade had models wearing camping backpacks. It’s officially the last step in late stage capitalism to position nature and the basic context of being outside as a luxury. But it’s also a very real hint at escapism and nostalgia: two of fashion’s favorite themes.
Rising designer and industry favorite Zane Li, of LII, who showcased a collection full of color blocked, paper doll-like designs inspired by the 1960s said it best in his show notes: “We become nostalgic for periods we never experienced and recognize ourselves in people whose lives are far removed from our own. At some point, memory and imagination are blurred.” In other words: what even is home? Maybe it’s something we’re all grasping at.
In a more literal sense of homecoming, Sabyasachi came back to New York after 18 years, with a runway show merging Americana and Indian aesthetics, led by Christy Turlington and a divine collection of jewelry created in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rachel Comey celebrated 25 years with a feel-good show inside the iconic Judson Memorial Church, full of cool layered pieces that hinted toward the raw personal style her crowd is known for. She also won best snacks of the week, with art-worthy desserts by Unreal, and a bag collab created with the snack company in the form of limited-edition silver Tyvek clutches. In her show notes she specifically thanked New York’s garment district. “It’s still thriving,” she told us, backstage after the show. “It’s smaller than when I started 25 years ago. But you know, there’s also new energy there too.”
Libertine also celebrated 25 years, with pop art inspired butterflies and maximalist embellishment at an intimate show inside the National Arts Club. Coach celebrated its 85th anniversary with a huge beige-colored runway show (which also had lots of models wearing sweaters tied around their waists like we saw with Comey earlier). There were also massive shrimp towers and a bit of a dystopian 1970s dance floor complete with a huge sparkling disco ball that could have been read as either deeply chic or Black Mirror-coded depending on how you looked at it. Tibi had an anniversary too, and sent out a playful collection plus some very, very good tassel-covered skirts.
Tommy Hilfiger and threeASFOUR returned too, with official spots on the calendar, each with blowout shows in their own way. Internet discourse will have you believe NYFW is dead, but it’s not. The return of these designers, and the rise of others, if anything, says that they’re betting on the city in a major way. DVF, Proenza Schouler and 7 For All Mankind are heritage brands as much as heritage brands can be, in New York. Each has recently been revived with young creative directors Henry Zankov, Rachel Scott and Nicola Brognano respectively. This season, all three are bringing color, print and texture back to the uber commercial landscape of New York. Brandon Maxwell also came back, and showed us what we’ve been missing: his truly stunning take on tailoring: just really, really elevated clothing that moves insanely well on the body.
Designers are having fun: even Christian Siriano’s usual camp display was even campier with male models in leather. Bad Binch Tong Tong gave us a real show, with over-the-top gowns that truly took up space, and headpieces by one of our favorite accessory designers, Heidi Lee. Then, Showpony by hair stylist Evanie Frausto, showed its sophomore collection at NYFW. It’s a brand that literally makes clothes out of human hair. Tyler McGillivary, Anna Sui and Kim Shui are real world brands making extremely cool clothes that extremely cool girls want to wear and this season showed us they still know want we want. Eckhaus Latta had its usual troupe of downtown cool models dressed in freaky good knitwear and unusual textiles, with an interactive part of the show that encouraged us to throw paper confetti at models as they walked. There’s even a new genre of designers in New York who seem to be doing things on a couture level, like Wiederhoeft. His construction alone is mesmerizing. There was certainly a feeling in the air that this was one of the best NYFW in recent years: a steady mix of rising talent, major names and collections that felt new. I mean, Khaite even gave us 1940s inspired skirts and crinolines.
All the other fashion cities have clear identities, and maybe we’re entering a new era for New York. There’s definitely a sort of anything goes, fun vibe to the smaller, independent shows. Watching Zoe Gustavia Anna Walen’s show inside a Chinatown loft, you could feel the exciting energy and the innate and unique feeling of an extremely strong point of view, designed for and through the female lens. Likewise with Sandy Liang’s interesting skirts covered in bags and pockets, Madga Butrym’s vintage nightgown inspired dresses, Caroline Zimbalist’s gorgeous hand-painted flower dresses, and Grace Ling’s metal accessories and beautifully extreme tailoring. Becca Flood is an exciting new name to watch (more on her in another article, soon).
Still, some of the most joyous moments this season played up to the idea of millennial nostalgia. Paris Hilton closed The Blonds anniversary show while taking selfies. It’s the stories we all know. But in an anxious, attention economy, it felt more like a familiar, soothing ray of happiness than a gimmick. If Paris Hilton, A Bug’s Life and Sandy Liang’s oversize castle doll house were framed as storybook imagery, there was some darkness and seriousness to them too. Yes, the whimsy is an acknowledgment of the anxiety we all feel. But it’s also an answer for what’s next even if we don’t know exactly what that is. The fact that so many designers relate to New York as this manifesto for home is one of the best feelings. It goes beyond nostalgia. We all want to go home. It’s a weird time for everyone. We’re all craving comfort…home? Maybe it’s more of an idea and a feeling than an actuality in 2026. Or maybe it’s really just New York: the only city in the world that feels like home for everyone.
All photos © Sudden Chic & Impractical Girls Club.
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