Stuart Vevers For Coach Beckons Beauty And Hope At NYFW

There’s a reason Neil Diamond harmonized about the romance of the am hours in his song ‘September Morn.’ The ninth month of the year is full of promise and new beginnings as summer’s ease signals back-to-school and back-to-work, crisp, warm days replace oppressive temps, and skies seem bluer than blue. For his Spring 2026 collection, Coach executive creative director and now OBE title holder Stuart Vevers reflected on the potential of a New York morning brimming with optimism.

The designer set the mood with a blank room swathed in photo print curtains depicting NYC buildings (though one with an antique streetlamp was a dead ringer for Paris). While spot on, Vevers and his team did not reference Diamond’s ditty but instead remastered Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” into a hauntingly beautiful track with a cinematic feel.

Post-show backstage, Vevers explained the inspiration. “New York mornings are very special. There’s something about the light, bright, a new day. I wanted this to feel like a fresh morning,” he said, noting, “There’s heritage and nostalgia, but it’s not heavy, it’s lighter.”

Referring to heritage, Vevers furthered the Coach (Re-loved) concept to upcycle denim and leather into street-savvy styles very much inspired by today’s youth. “I find a lot of inspiration from the street. I’m fascinated with what young people are drawn to, and I find it really interesting as a designer because they’re usually challenging the status quo and things I’m comfortable with. So they’re making me look at things that maybe I’m not sure about to begin with, but it leads to something interesting,” he continued.

Indeed, the collection reimagined styles of nostalgia (one fashion pundit said it recalled the “Indie Sleaze” trend of the mid-Aughts to mid-2010s). Silhouettes were mainly long and lean, including full pants just a tad on the baggy side, cropped fitted biker vests, shrunken jean jackets, double-breasted denim jacket dresses, metropolitan-themed photo prints, complete with crease marks, patchwork tweeds and plaids on trousers and blazers, and shredded knitwear layered with T-shirts. Whimsical chiffon evening wear with patterns of stars and hearts mimicked the city’s archaeological treasures, such as sticks on poles. Each was topped off with the brand’s mainstay accessories, focusing on a new barrel shape bag and a rounded frame pouch, which also came in mini size as a necklace. The color palette recalled a soft patina, a nod to the city’s worn demeanor. Distressing on fabrics was juxtaposed with shiny silver leather, a nod to the city’s grit and polish, courtesy of New York’s newest glass monoliths. The Coach logo was distressed on new textile incorporated into the patched styles.

Interestingly, in these times when cities in the US symbolize the increasing polarization of its society, the cityscapes called out places such as New York, Seattle, Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Vevers assured it wasn’t a political statement but rather “Places that I’ve visited that I love and that make a good image.”

Rachel Scott of Diotima also had a specific place and mood in mind for her Spring 2026 show: The Caribbean Carnival and its diaspora incarnations and its roots as an “anti-imperialist act — culture that flourishes in the face of violent oppression,” according to show notes. For her collection entitled “Bacchanal,” Scott looked to Trinidadian artist Peter Minshall’s sketches for his elaborate Carnival costumes. Scott chose a color palette described as energetic magenta, guava, fluo lime, an amazing grenadine red, cumin, passionfruit, storm grey, black, and white, made for even more striking silhouettes.

Scott’s expertise in embellishment and her ability to execute it in the most chic way prevailed; whether as crystal beading on the cape-style lapel of a jacket, a delicate fur-like fringe in neon green flanking a black dress, or a tubular velvet rope trimming the edges of tank-style pieces.

Paillettes were melted and trimmed, long duster coats inspired by Carnival’s ‘bad-behavior’ sailors, one of the characters featured in the festivals. Ditto for the sash details on several looks. Tailored tops, macramé, and shredded skirts recalled another character, Baby Doll. The show’s pièce de résistance looks—sculpted styles created with hidden petticoats and a light-as-air fabric sewn into petite bunches akin to tissue paper art, recalled a character named Dame Lorraine—closed the show

The brand’s signature mesh was further explored as hoods and drop crotch pants for a sporty side. Swimwear also made a debut in two long-sleeve rash guard-inspired styles sporting chevrons. Make-up recalled elaborate face painting as part of the popular J’ouvert game played during the festivities.

It was another strong outing for Scott, who is a two-time CFDA award winner. Her star is rising too, as she was recently appointed the new creative director of Proenza Schouler, with her full design handprint to be shown on the Fall 2026 collection. It’s a win for her fans who will find more places to love her work.

Another New York designer with a rising trajectory and a CFDA award under his belt is Henry Zankov. Since launching his namesake label Zankov five years ago, the designer has shown his collection via presentations. Spring 2026 marks his runway debut, a much-anticipated show for the Spring 2026 collections in New York.

The designer titled his show “That was then, This is now,” a nod to the 1917 coming-of-age book by “The Outsiders” author S.E. Hinton that explores a tough choice between siblings. For Zankov, the show expressed brand growth. Backstage, the designer said he wanted to build out a complete scope offering for his customers, which included evening wear styles.

“I wanted to address the wardrobe, not just through the knitwear perspective only, but through addressing her life throughout the day as she moves through her life. She needs different things for different parts of her life,” Zankov said. Along with the silk-striped evening styles, Zankov showed tailored jackets in coated canvas, crisp Japanese raw denim pants, and even a charming bathing suit.

The designer, who styled the show himself, looked to music, a consistent muse, and dug his aesthetic heels into the ’90s grunge look. “That’s always been in my work, and it just keeps coming out in more obvious ways. It’s always about music for me,” he continued. To wit, show notes mentioned female muses such as Sophie Calle, PJ Harvey, Annie Ernaux, Chantal Akerman, and Zadie Smith. (Though Saks Global Fashion and Lifestyle Director Chloe King could have easily been on the list, too.)

While they might not be all he has to offer, the knitwear still takes center stage. To this Nirvana-inspired music era end, Zankov deftly demonstrated that his fine gauge spring knits are meant to be layered in ways that aren’t always the obvious but propose fresh styling concepts. Accessories like beanies, sunglasses, and Presley Oldham’s jewelry added to the look. Thus, the main charm of the collection is the myriad of ways the bold colors, textures, and patterns come together. It’s also a worthy design-driven addition to NYFW, which is chock-a-block full of contemporary brand offerings.