Ese Azenabor Fall 2026

February 15, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Ese Azenabor’s fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection was another surefire hit. We are all familiar with Azenabor’s bridal collection. Her bridal collections are a compendium on grace, elegant, luxury and bridal beauty.  And with this fall 2026 ready-to-wear Azenabor expands her incredible craft and imagination to her ready-to-wear collection.

Inspired by reimagined romance seen through the lens of fantasy, whimsy, and elegance, Azenabor juxtaposes this reflection against the contrast of strength and softness, whimsy alongside edge, and complex power married with calmness and layered beauty. All these varied points of view do exist in the same fashion petri dish with canceling each aspect or overshadowing points of view.

It takes a lot of craft and genius to combine these disparate elements into a collection that can have a wide appeal to different types of consumers and demographics. In this collection Azenabor demonstrates that she possesses the craft to create garments that have a variety of silhouettes combined in one cohesive garment. Sometimes, this melding of different points of view is overdone, but for the most part Azenabor accomplishes this challenge.

Ese Azenabor uses rose motifs throughout this collection. Imagine a winter rose, beautiful and vibrant in a deep red color. These blooming roses are an integral part of this fall 2026 collection. And showcasing this collection in the stunning 91st Street mansion was the perfect venue to highlight Azenabor’s genius and craft.

Images courtesy of Atelier PR

Though this collection has 43 looks, there were some standouts. The garments that caught Fashion Reverie’s attention most were the long sleeve shorts romper with narrow plunge, halter gown featuring bodice encrusted with red crystals, two-piece set featuring gold strapless asymmetrical corset comprised entirely of rose gold acrylic and crystal-beaded flowers, off-white tailored Mikado mini-dress with corset detailing on front and back with sweetheart neckline, and black strapless Mikado mini dress with large sequin flower for pop color.

—William S. Gooch

 

Malan Breton Fall 2026

February 15, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Malan Breton finally gets it right!! For those who have followed Malan Breton’s career for over a decade, we have patiently waited for Breton’s talent to come to full fruition. There have been moments when Breton almost accomplished this goal; however, he was often sideswiped by construction challenges, bad model selection, or trying too hard to impress audiences with Broadway veterans walking in his shows. (The Broadway veterans and television stars sell themselves, rarely selling the garments.)

And though the potential was always evident, there was always something amiss. This fall 2026 collection was different. Malan Breton, for the most part, realized his potential.

Breton’s “Song of the Winter Siren” draws on the visual language of late 1920s and 1930s glamour and classic film noir, pairing refinement with an undercurrent of tension and consequence. A nocturnal palette anchors the collection, including inkwell black, bone white, champagne gold, garnet, and smoke silver reinforces the cinematic atmosphere, with beauty by Odilis and hair by Vivienne Mackinder leaning into polished, era inspiring glamour.

If there were some drawbacks to this collection, and there were a couple, it would be elements of his menswear. The expanded lapels, resembling sailor lapels, was a big stretch for menswear. And it is yet to be proven if a modern male consumer would purchase these kinds of jackets. Also, at times there were still too many ideas. Again, Breton should take advice from the late great Coco Chanel, “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”

Images courtesy of Lawlor Media

Still, this was a much more of a cohesive attempt—with well-constructed garments—at making clothing that a wider demographic would want in their wardrobe. Malan Breton is on his way. And perhaps, this culmination in wearable, exciting clothes is the result of maturity and perseverance. Bravo for that!!

—William S. Gooch

 

Christian Siriano Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

The world is arguably falling apart; it feels like the end of times. The economy is in shambles (even though the White House won’t release an accurate jobs report), but on the bright side, for businesses affected by Trump’s tariffs, the Supreme Court overturned most of them. In times like these, escapism and surrealism are needed, and for many, fashion is a form of that.

Christian Siriano has always taken pride in dressing real women of all body types. Inclusivity has been his focus since he started rising to fame as a red-carpet dresser, dressing many curvy and full-figured actresses that other designers often refused to serve. While Siriano has designed for women of all shapes and sizes, Siriano’s true aesthetic has always been about glamour, fantasy, and opulence.

He continued to explore the idea of fantasy for his new collection, inspired by the dreamlike qualities of Salvador Dali’s paintings. While Siriano didn’t fully adopt Cubism, where subjects are broken down and reassembled in abstract forms, he played with proportions and exaggerations, much like Dali’s art.

The show opened with supermodel Coco Rocha wearing what, at first glance, seemed like a minimalist black outerwear ensemble with a corset jacket, but upon closer inspection exaggerated arms, shoulders, and a subtle flare at the top of the trousers. This hinted at the play on proportions to come, including a white feathered coat with oversized lapels, scalloped sleeves, and sculptural statement bodices.

Siriano aimed to blur the lines between reality and fantasy, successfully achieved through his use of fluid drapery and high-gloss textures. Rocha returned to close the show in a satin blue and green ombre gown with a balloon bodice, echoing the luminous contrast of a surrealist landscape.

Images courtesy of vogue.com

The architectural design of the gowns showcased Siriano’s craftsmanship, while the textures and handcrafted beading reflected his view of fashion as art. While Dali was a pioneer in Cubist painting, Siriano is demonstrating himself as a pioneer in modern glamour.

—Kristopher Fraser

 

 

 

Romeo Hunte Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

The Romeo Hunte brand has turned into one of the industries’ most coveted invites and fashion insiders were clamoring to see Hunte’s fall 2026 collection! Held in the fabulous venue that is Gotham Hall the lines were around the block and to be continued for entry. Thankfully, Fashion Reverie was on the list, and we went right in.

This season’s collection, entitled “NOIR VIGILANTE,” featured runway pieces steeped in precision tailoring and controlled disruption. Rooted in American heritage dressing, the collection sharpened familiar forms; trench coats, denim, button-down shirts, and eveningwear into sculptural silhouettes defined by proportion and structure. Tuxedo elements were integrated into daywear. Stone-washed denim was engineered with cinched waists and architectural shaping. Classic tailoring was recalibrated for a sharper, more deliberate expression.

There were several, wonderful standout pieces in the collection such as the blue polka dot suit and the tiered polka dot skirt; however, Hunte’s outerwear has always been his main attraction and still is. The outerwear (for the people in the back) was tres magnifique, and remains Hunte’s signature designed elements. The crowd literally gasped when the trench coats hit the runway and when I say trench coats, I mean crocodile-textured technical coats, structured denim trenches, and saturated trench silhouettes in green, yellow, and deep burgundy that has all of us adding these coats to our Pinterest boards. And will hopefully be added to consumer’s fall/winter wardrobes.

Images courtesy of Romeo Hunte

The collection reflects the maturation of the brand: heritage informed, technically assured and architecturally precise. We see the elevation and applaud this new American heritage brand. Keep doing Romeo what you are doing. It is working!!

Renessta Olds

 

 

Pamella Roland Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Antarctica is Earth’s fifth-largest continent and is entirely covered in ice. It’s not usually the first place you’d think of for fashion inspiration, but leave it to creative director Pamella DeVos of Pamella Roland to find inspiration in one of the most barren and icy regions on the planet.

DeVos took a recent journey to Antarctica, where she was inspired by the continent’s quiet grandeur and frozen refinement. From the glacial formations to the vast landscapes, she began formulating ideas for Pamella Roland’s fall 2026 collection. One of her biggest inspirations came from penguins and the contrast of their black-and-white plumage. The opening black-and-white tailored look, accessorized with black leather gloves, easily invoked the contrast of penguins’ plumage and, with its strong peak lapels, also signified power dressing for women.

While Pamella Roland is known for its cocktail dresses and evening gowns, it was a very different choice for the brand to open with a suiting look, but it built up to the dramatic, red- carpet styles. The black-and-white contrast color palette was soon seen on a gown with a white bodice, black skirt, and cascading white train, accessorized with black opera gloves, a look that’s much more expected from Pamella Roland.

Beyond the black-and-white contrasting looks, the color palette for the collection also included glacial blues, icy whites, grays, and rich jewel tones, softened with blush and nude hues. The finale look, a halter gown with crystal and paillette appliqués paired with a white down puffer cape, was worthy of a magical snow queen and showed that Arctic inspiration can move well beyond industrial parks and down coats.

Images courtesy of Purple PR

Although DeVos offered hints of pieces, like the opening suit, that were outside of what defines the Pamella Roland brand, she still stuck to her tried-and-true elaborate gowns. She is a reminder to always think about the customer and what works, but it’s also worth offering them something unexpected and seeing how they respond.

—Kristopher Fraser

 

Norma Kamali Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Norma Kamali’s fall 2026 collection is an antidote to the current cantankerous climate. When the colossal issue of tariffs hit the fashion industry in 2025, Kamali decided to create this latest collection purposely retailing under $200, for each item. As tensions rise and money is tight, this collection is a necessary reminder that, “… whether or not it’s in our budget, we need fashion,” Kamali says as she begins to recall her collection on her ten-minute narration on the presentation.

Kamali goes on to say, “No matter how we look at it, when we look good because we feel good, we can change our attitude about the reality around us.”  The silhouettes are in her signature draping style. It is also wearable in multiple seasons. The collection is meant to be layered with other pieces in the collection.  Kamali explains that she intended to layer to make it easier to put together a travel wardrobe. However, the practicality of the collection makes it feasible to weave a true capsule wardrobe together, appropriate for multiple times of the year.

In past seasons, Kamali added chocolate and plum to their neutral palate; expanding the idea of what colors should be treated as neutral.  In the Norma Kamali way, the neutral palate has been expanded once again, adding one of the most “pop neutral colors in fashion history, red.”  The pop of red as neutral and Cheetah prints adorned on scarves, body suits and more, is reminder of the fun that fashion is meant to offer. The red and cheetah give a touch of rebelliousness when the climate of now has an expectation of conservative drabness.

The use of gray has its own subseries entitled, the ‘Terry Group’ that includes the iconic sweats from Kamali’s first collection. “The magic of the silver reflection in gowns, dresses, and sportswear. The Terry Group, as explains Kamali, “is a wardrobe, as was my first collection of sweats in 1980.”

Kamali also went back into her archives and brought back the wing sleeve, open back catsuit. She recalls seeing it worn so many ways and at the time of the initial launch, “a lot of women wore it out to dance,” Kamali recalls.  Reimagining this popular piece, the bow at the back is bigger and there are a lot of skirt choices to choose from.

Kamali’s personal favorites of this season include vegan leather Sleeping Bag Jacket, Bomber Body Suit, the flared skirt and lastly, the shawl collared peplum coat.

Images courtesy of Atelier PR

This fall 2026 collection is a starting point of what to wear to be glamourous in difficult times. The accessible pricing, plus the ability to mix and match, along with accessorizing makes every look stunning and timeless.

Farah Akbar

Cinq à Sept Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Cinq à Sept embodies a harmonious balance between sophistication and ease, youthful daring and confident allure. The fall 2026 collection’s modern take on feminine aesthetic includes lavish details and striking silhouettes, resulting in pieces that draw the romance and seductiveness from the women wearing them.

A nostalgic tribute to the untapped energy of the 1970s, this collection channels the poetry of folk rock with a modernized twist of opulence, grasping a firm balance between softness and edge. Cascading ruffles, gilded embroidery and pussy-bow blouses contrast sheer silhouettes, skin-baring necklines, and raised hemlines, striking a balance between softness and provocation. Silk trimmed in lace, regal gold brocade, lush florals, and plush faux furs accentuate familiar yet new silhouettes.

Ochre, deep burgundy, olive green, and ivory ground the palette, punctuated by bursts of poppy red and saturated blue. A silk lace-trimmed empire-waist dress with an ankle-grazing hem evokes romanticism, while a floor-length skirt is juxtaposed with a cinched-waist jacket. Vegan naplak leather is splattered throughout the collection, at times doubled in sets and others gracing softer silhouettes, adding a welcomed contrast.

Gold brocade appears in the form of both a slinky slip dress and an empire-waist gown with intricate bodice beadwork and tiered skirting, then reemerges as a dramatic counterpoint in a voluminous ballgown skirt paired with leather bomber jacket. Billowing floral and lace maxi dresses channel a bohemian ease, while intricate jeweled embellishments bring richness to bra top and high-waisted trousers. Faux fur jackets and stoles lend a luxe finish throughout.

Cinched-hem genie pants, leather micro shorts, and slinky lace-trim boxers add a refreshing twist to the otherwise classic presentation. A sheer lace duster with a billowing floor-length train brings free-spirited drama to exclaim the collection. Pointed lace-up booties, chunky square toe knee-highs and heeled loafers add interest while classic pumps and t-straps anchor the offering.

Images courtesy of Cinq a Sept

Sharing its name with the French term for the liminal moment linking late afternoon and early evening, Cinq à Sept brings the intriguing tension between day and night to an advanced contemporary collection.

—Lauren Pierre-Louis

AKNVAS Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Inspired by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, the fall 2026 collection translates the fairy tale into a modern narrative of journey, power, and transformation. The collection moves through emotional and visual landscapes, unfolding a tale of spectacles across three acts.

The first act opens in an ice palace, still, ceremonial, and untouched by warmth. Its world is one of restraint and quiet beauty, where movements and designs are measured and elegance feels distant. Like a snow ballerina, the figure within drifts through frozen halls, calm and composed, portraying grace without mellowness.

For Act 2, a traveler moves through the palace, shaped by its cold order and silent rituals. Pale shades shimmer like frost in morning light, and everything feels held, controlled, and suspended. The glamour isn’t loud in the designs but blaring in confidence and poise. And with all AKNVAS collections there is a strong focus on denim, styled and designed in unique and innovative ways.

In the final act, emotion breaks the surface, showing a combustion of unique silhouettes. Teardrops take form, becoming vessels of feeling and creation. In the fairy tale that inspires this moment, tears are born from frustration and sorrow, yet they carry warmth within them sewn into the garments. As they fall, they soften the frozen world, transforming restraint into tenderness, and cold beauty into love.

Images courtesy of AKNVAS

With the runway as the canvas and the collection as the brush, a masterclass of style has graced New York Fashion Week thanks to designer and founder, Christian Juul Nielsen. The collection achieves poetic elegance with a focus on drape, flattering silhouettes, innovative knits and an elevated color palette.

—Lauren Pierre-Louis

Alice & Olivia Fall 2026

February 14, 2026 by Leave a Comment

One of the most sought after invites for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) spring 2026 is the Alice & Olivia presentation. Fashion Reverie was on the scene to take in this collection entitled “Gilded Age.” Held at the historic Surrogates Court, the collection opens with a tableau of 19th-century opulence—complete with grand staircases draped in pearls and literary nods to The Gilded Age.

The Alice & Olivia fall 2026 vignettes presented feature pieces that reflect romantic meeting maximalist glamour where femininity is reframed as power and dressing becomes an act of assertion. Inspired by the grandeur and contradictions of The Gilded Age, the collection showcases a world full of excess, invention, and beauty—where corsetry is worn with conviction and embroidery becomes artful armor. Creative director Stacey Bendet reimagines, “Victorian opulence through a modern lens, blending romantic tradition with the spirit of contemporary independence.”

With 46 looks in this latest collection there is much to explore, intricate gold and pearl embroidery, lace, silk slips, and sweeping ball skirts are grounded by denim, tailored trousers, and statement outerwear.  The color palette of black, ivory, gold, silver, and burgundy underscores the collection’s bold energy, while silhouettes range from sculptural gowns with detachable bustles and dramatic trains to sharply styled separates.  One of the pieces that continuously caught Fashion Reverie’s eye was the ‘party top’—crystal corsets, lace bustiers, and chain-mail camisoles designed to transform denim into a statement of effortless luxury.

Images courtesy of Fashion Reverie

One of the things that the brand shared with Fashion Reverie is that they have incorporated advanced AI technology into this latest collection that is used to develop intricate, photoreal embroideries, enhancing craftsmanship while preserving creative authorship.  This presentation features a collection that is glamourous but not too much (if you know what we mean.) It’s a fresh and modern expression of femininity.

—Renessta Olds

Becca Flood Fall 2026

February 13, 2026 by Leave a Comment

When it comes to inspiration fashion designers get inspiration from a range of ideas, concepts, and subject matters. Often fashion designers look to the past for a reference point. For her fall 2026 capsule collection, Becca Flood looked to Greek mythology, and more specifically to the myth of Arachne, the mortal weaver who challenged Athena and was punished for revealing the gods’ resemblance to the humans they ruled.

In this debut collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), chose to present her fall 2026 collection in a small space with just a few models. The small venue gave fashion industry professionals a chance to view the collection up close and chat with Becca Flood.

As a reference to her inspiration, Becca Flood uses this NYFW debut collection to comment on what happens when skill, truth, and labor threaten established hierarchies—positioning Arachne not as a warning, but as a figure of the original punk. “My inspiration for this collection was my childhood in the Hudson Valley and the dichotomy of an open area, as well as the harshness of trying to keep animals alive. This upbringing prepped for fashion because fashion is about beauty, but also about adaptability.

Though this is Becca Flood NYFW debut, Flood has produced other collections prior to this NYFW debut. One of the brand’s DNA signature looks are the expansive sleeves. “My last collection I incorporated these big sleeves, and you will observe that is this collection I carried over my signature big sleeves as well as large collars. I love everyday wearable pieces that have one big dramatic moment,” explains Flood. “The dramatic moments make my collection fashion not just staple garments for a consumer’s wardrobe. The clothing itself makes a statement, so consumers don’t have to accessorize or layer unless they choose to do so.”

Images courtesy of Lindsey Media

Becca Flood in this fall 2026 collection proves that small, emerging designers can create collections that can highlight trends while still be wearable from season to season. While this collection borders on appealing to a niche audience, there are elements that could attract a wider demographic.

Overall, this NYFW debut collection was a hit run. And the fashion industry hopes that Becca Flood will not be a stranger to NYFW.

—William S. Gooch

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