An eager sea of stripes, sequins, and color-blocked frocks snaked around the outskirts of Robert F. Wagner Park on September 13. As guests got to their seats, the view was a rewarding one. Sailboats with Cynthia Rowley-branded sails, striped in dazzling colors, circled each other between the park and the Statue of Liberty. The visual was the perfect foreshadowing for the collection, a blend of nautical and city slicker energy. It was a show where everyone was in the front row, as the models wove their runway struts through the wooden and concrete step benches.
Rowley’s standout looks were those that juxtaposed feminine fabrics or colors with tomboyish silhouettes, like the seafoam sequin tank paired with baggy khaki shorts and strappy heels. Athletic shorts were worn with silk blazers and stilettos. Nautical nostalgia was referenced in a madras/seersucker jacket and dress pairing, and several rugby shirts that matched the sails on the water behind them.
Notably. Cynthia Rowley’s daughter, 26-year-old Kit Keenan made her runway debut in a black strapless mini, decorated with mixed metal rings that sparkled in the sunset light.
Most looks were accessorized similarly; abstract gold and silver cuffs, belts with funky buckles set on the low waist, worn backwards, and layered on top of each other.
At the show’s end, Cynthia joined the models lined before the water’s edge, and the crew celebrated the joyous evening, full of smiles and cheers. It is impossible to ignore, Rowley has staying power.
Images courtesy of theimpression.com
Cynthia Rowley’s spring 2026 collection marked her 101st runway show during New York Fashion Week. The show came days after the CFDA’s announcement honoring her with the Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert.
—Marley Gifford
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