This season, some 63 shows populated the official New York Fashion Week calendar. At roughly 20 to 60 looks apiece, that’s a torrent of silhouettes, fabrics, textures, and colorways to absorb—even more so when experienced through the relentless scroll of a phone screen, where collections are distilled into swipes and looping gifs. But in the room, it’s different. The lights dim. The chatter dissolves. For a fleeting, almost ceremonial moment, the designer commands undivided attention as the first model steps onto the runway.
There’s an inherent arc to the traditional catwalk procession. From a commercial perspective, shows often begin with daywear before transitioning into eveningwear. If that notion stands, the first look is almost always something on the more wearable side (the reverse can also be said for the finale). And in New York, it’s daywear we’re so known for, so first looks, often the simplest of the collection, resonate even more. Putting them all together after the fact feels like a distillation of the current spirit of New York.
For some brands, the opener acts as a palette cleanser — a sartorial sorbet that clears the senses after the show before and prepares the eye for what’s to come. This season, many began in black. At Fforme, Frances Howie sent out a sleeveless, draped wool A-line dress — spare, precise, uncompromisingly dark. Calvin Klein and Michael Kors opted for the purity of the white shirt, each grounding their collections in something deeply familiar before pushing outward: fringe outerwear at the former, an ostrich-feather skirt at the latter.
Nicholas Aburn, whose two collections for Area have dealt in extreme proportions and fabrications, thought of his first look as a “quiet starting point.” The opening model wore a black turtleneck and an indigo denim mini skirt—but even this built on itself, easing us into Aburn’s dalliances with subversion. As the model walked, she turned to reveal a distortion at the back of the seemingly simple skirt: two extraneous sleeves knotted at the hip. It’s like the lede paragraph of a story; the goal is to lure you in, but leave you wanting more.
Joseph Altuzarra began his fall collection by ruminating on a coat, a necessity of seasonal dressing. The first outfit, which he had picked out from the start, was a black faux fur coat with a wrapped leather breast plate, cinched at the waist with a sash. “It distills the spirit of the season,” he says, “a sculpted shoulder, a defined waist, layered textures, and a quiet, moody tension.” As Wes Gordon said of Carolina Herrera, “this first look really sets the tone of the show.” For Rachel Scott of Proenza Schouler and Diotima, “Look one encapsulates a future vocabulary for the brand.”
A first look should read almost like a thesis statement, helping viewers understand what they’re about to see and crystalizing a designer’s view for the season.
Ahead, New York designers reflect on their inspirations this season—and on why that very first look mattered most.
Ralph Lauren
“I love the adventure of fashion. My fall 2026 collection is inspired by that kind of renegade spirit and the confidence of the woman who will wear it in her own personal way—to tell her own story. She respects the timeless quality of things from the past but reinvents them for now. Her style is not defined by time. It’s enduring.”– Ralph Lauren
Michael Kors
“I wanted to really connect the showstopping drama and opulence with something that felt totally streamlined, timeless, modern.” —Michael Kors
Coach
“This season channels a shared sense of optimism as we follow a new generation into their next adventure. We embrace the continuous reinvention of what it means to be young and forward-looking, resourceful and creative.” —Stuart Vevers, Coach
Carolina Herrera
“This first look really sets the tone of the show—there’s a confidence balanced with sophistication. The jacket is sculptural and clean, and then the skirt brings this incredible texture and movement.” —Wes Gordon, Carolina Herrera
Area
“I wanted the magic of the collection’s more extreme pieces to live in this quiet starting point.”—Nicholas Aburn, Area
Zankov
“The opening look really embodies what Zankov is about. I’m drawn to tension in my work, and the alpaca intarsia shirt creates a strong counterpoint to the sheer, voluminous ice-blue organza skirt—it’s about clashing materiality, color, and silhouette. It also represents where we’re headed as a brand. It feels cozy and protective, yet slightly naughty at the same time.”—Henry Zankov
Fforme
“We opened the show with a molded A-line dress tailored in wool and draped with a gossamer layer of merino wool jersey. It’s a deconstructed meditation on the endangered debutante—a gesture toward a kind of inherited elegance that feels increasingly rare. I was thinking about the elegance and etiquette of another era, but updated through unexpected materials and a more modern sensibility.
We paired the dress with a shearling stole finished with raw edges, slightly undone. And the slippers, cut from long glove leather—the softest imaginable—feel almost like gloves for the feet. There’s something quietly subversive in that reference to Upper Class American society: refinement, yes, but softened, made intimate, made human.” —Frances Howie, Fforme
LII
“I've always been a big fan of sci-fi and am always thinking about what the modern woman will want to wear in the near future and this look was about taking a stab at that. Familiar pieces like a track jacket or mini skirt but with fun updates like a spongy, neoprene fabric, ultra high-neck and visible linings. I'm always trying to find ways to reconcile interesting shapes and everyday, practical, sporty wearability, and I felt this look perfectly married these two ideas.” —Zane Li, LII
Calvin Klein
“The first look is an ode to the purest and most rigorous personal fetish of mine. A full length Melton [wool] black coat. Radical in the details, with an exaggerated pointy lapel paired with a black shearling collar. A straight and essential silhouette for the body. Underneath is Calvin’s new tux denim: the top panel of the trousers is a classic tuxedo pant combined with black denim legs. It’s paired with a crispy white poplin shirt and spazzolato slippers to add a touch of subtle glamour and effortless elegance!” —Veronica Leoni, Calvin Klein
Tory Burch
“I started with things that I adore. I wanted to go back to things that were familiar and when I think about that I think about my dad and his corduroy pants or his Shetland sweater that I had that I wanted to make much softer.” —Tory Burch
Altuzarra
“This coat was the starting point for the entire collection, and from the beginning I knew it had to be the first look. It distills the spirit of the season—a sculpted shoulder, a defined waist, layered textures, and a quiet, moody tension.” —Joseph Altuzarra
