NYFW SS26 Womenswear: Micro-Trends of Nostalgia, Polka Dots, & Fluid Functionality

SS26 continues the rise of the micro-trend—an industry shifts away from long-reigning macro trends. This reflects a broader cultural movement away from singular ideals and towards a celebration of individuality. In turbulent political and socioeconomic times, the runway remains both mirror and refuge.

Overarching themes emerged as well. Neutral palettes dominate, reflecting the gravity of the times, while meticulous fabric manipulation, volume, and embellishment convey intentionality. Themes of our sociopolitical landscape were addressed head-on by some designers and approached through escapism by others. We also saw a growing sense that new isn’t equated with better anymore, as themes of nostalgia were visible in silhouettes referential of various bygone eras, amplified by the steady growth vintage and resale markets. 

Soft Tailoring & Draped Folds

SS26 emphasized soft tailoring and romantic folds, infusing femininity into neutral palettes and workwear silhouettes. There was Khaite’s poetic approach to tailoring, in a spectrum of earth-tone silks and relaxed leathers– a buyer’s favorite this season. Kate Barton played with drapery and fabric manipulation, translating her sculpted silhouettes and futuristic material into more commercial product categories. Barton also layered evening gowns with sports jerseys, intentionally curating an uncategorical collection of womenswear, blurring the lines of the either-or projections of womanhood. 

Michael Kors embraced ease and draping with soft tailoring and caftans in desert hues, inspired by recent trips to Marrakech and Sicily. Stuart Vevers, creative director of Coach, played with a relaxed fit and soft tailoring that felt androgynous and versatile, making for a runway presentation that felt more intentional and refined than past shows put on by the leather goods brand.

Kate Barton SS26, Photography by Liuna Aylin (@liunaaylin). 

Powersuiting and Strong Shoulders

The shoulder pad is definitely back, an influence we can credit to Heidi tribute SS25 collection, interpreting Yves’ original women’s suiting.. Structured shoulders and shoulder pads juxtaposed the season’s softer draping and relaxed fit, creating an interesting tension that felt strong, yet unrestricted and deeply feminine. Suiting this season was more deconstructed than the 80s silhouettes - the shoulder pad silhouettes reference - more feminine and, on some runways, offering a rebellious disregard for the modest workwear etiquette prescribed to women. 

LaQuan Smith contrasted traditional workwear trousers with form-fitting, lightweight knits that would have corporate America on edge. At Michael Kors, the return of the shoulder pad was embraced in tailored blazers and dresses, creating a beautiful contrast to Mediterranean-inspired drapery. We saw a similar interplay between soft draping and structured tailoring at Proenza Schouler, with textured fabrications and pastels. 

Michael Kors SS26, Photography via MK Instagram. 

At Tory Burch, oversized shoulders and collars gave an effortless borrowed-from-boyfriend feel that felt unrestrictive. Her silhouette reminded me of finding an oversized vintage blazer and tailoring in the body, but leaving the exaggerated shoulder pad as a dropped-shoulder for drama (something I’ve done myself a few times). 

At Privacy Policy, shoulder pads were used with a sportier feel in jackets. Across the board, this trend projects confidence, agency, and unapologetic presence, combining comfort with grit and assertive femininity in a way that feels uniquely New York.  

Credits: Privacy Policy SS26, Photography Liuna Aylin (@liunaaylin). 

Political Optimism

What does SS26 speak to in a landscape defined by AI, political threats to sexuality, and Trump’s America? At Collina Strada, there were voluminous tucks and folds and pleats in combination with relaxed fit silhouettes, offering a woman that looked intentionally comfortable & fluidly feminine as she prepared to fight the good fight, in context to the show and inspiration. Hillary Teymore, the creative director, played with the emotional duplicity of shining through dark times as our brightest versions of selves, sending each model down the runway as “the model and her shadow” - a light look and matching dark look. Set to the sound of “Friendly Fascism”, the presentation was a not-so-subtle call to viewers to be the light.

Collina Strada SS26, Photography via Collina Strada IG. 

At Prabal Gurung's “Angels in America” presentation, we saw drop-hem gowns with delicate gathering, which created a flower-like silhouette inspired by the Angel’s Trumpet flower. The night-blooming flower was a metaphor through which Gurang interpreted the collection’s theme of finding light in darkness. The angelic femininity was curated through airy fabrications, feathers incorporated into finale looks, and nuanced details styled in collaboration with Tina Leung.

Prabal Gurang SS26, Photography Dan Iecca (via Prabal Gurang IG). 

Rachel Scott offered a uniquely Diotoma interpretation of feminine resistance. Inspired by Caribbean Carnival traditions, which she emphasized as a form of resistance - a joyful, sometimes erotic, and rebellious opposition to oppressive forces - Scott gave a vibrant color story and rich layers, textures, and embellishments which masterfully echoed the sentiment of her inspiration.

Romantic Nostalgia & Escapism

Nostalgia is, at its heart, a form of escapism & a theme we saw come through in many forms. Willy Chavarria’s womenswear presentation at Printempts brought back the salon-style collection presentation reminiscent of the early 1900s & the first presentations of our modern-day heritage houses. The collection offered silhouettes referential of 1960s-90s workwear in a saturated color palette that had both intent in his dialogue around immigration, but also vibrant optimism for a path forward. 

Lapointe, who is known for her power dressing and monochromatic power looks, brought a relatively maximalist femininity, embellishing both eveningwear and her brand-coded relaxed-fit sets with feathers and bijoux, which felt referential to the 1920s (& couture-level craftsmanship). A reference that, in its essence of post-war liberation of women and restrictive silhouettes, felt perfectly in step to the general sentiments and political dialogues on runways this season, albeit perhaps unintentionally. Sally noted that she drew inspiration from her fine arts background, approaching this season as she would a painting, seeking to “invoke a visceral emotion to the viewer, leaving a sense of inspiration and allure.”

Lapointe SS26, Photography Janice Yin/ Kessler Studio (via Lapointe IG). 

Grace Ling brought vintage references into her futuristic approach to womenswear. Inspired by her love of antiques and found objects, Ling translated nostalgia for things past through the lens of what will be cherished in future decades.

Grace Ling SS26, Photography Indigitial (via Grace Ling IG).

Anna Sui’s runway played with soft girlishness, with Peter Pan collars, lace dresses, scarf shirts, and skirts, and pastel prints. The collection made me think of my younger self, mixing ’70s style into my aught-era wardrobe, heavily influenced by Penny Lane of Almost Famous.

Then, of course, there is the undeniable staying power of period-inspired silhouettes consistently played with by emerging brands such as Wiederhoeft and Elena Velez. Elena Velez presented her usual deconstructed corsetry and form with a primal femininity, inspired by crust punks, people living on the margin, and the perspective of the American dream from the outside. Wiederhoeft’s “Lost Works” collection looked at the lost craft of couture construction and technique, nostalgia for the lost art of craftsmanship in the fashion industry.

Elena Velez SS26, Photography Liuna Aylin (@liunaaylin).

Polka Dots 

Another nostalgic motif we saw was the polka dot, in tune with trend forecasts for the season (& a trend we suspect we will see in European fashion weeks as well). We saw polka dots at Khaite, who delivered a sophisticated usage with silk blouses and pleat-waist maxi skirts. Christian Siriano brought a playful, dramatic polka dot motif, contrasted with stripes in suiting sets reminiscent of the 1940s and his signature voluminous dresses. Private Policy gave a fresh interpretation with monochromatic polka dots and printed 3D bubble-like polka dots. Kate Barton created another bubble-like polka dot that felt other-worldly. Altuzarra gave us a silver metallic polka dot on black body con silhouette. Batsheva gave us a prairie-esque polka dot and extra-long polka-dot painted nails in an interactive beauty-pagent inspired presentation that spoke to feminine confidence. Bach Mi put oversized polka dots on jackets and both cocktail and evening gowns, layered polka dots over plaid, and created polka-dot inspired cut-outs in a dramatic evening ensemble. As most polka dots were in neutral tones, the usage stayed in theme to the overarching themes of SS26 - a nod at playful femininity against a serious political backdrop.  

Privacy Policy SS26, Kate Barton SS26, Photography Liuna Aylin (@liunaaylin).

SS26 distilled femininity into layered archetypes - soft yet strong, nostalgic yet future-facing. From draped folds and soft tailoring to power suits, political optimism, and polka dots, designers are creating nuanced, multi-layered narratives that reflect the times and how women are navigating through. The themes express a more fluid femininity, strong in presence but unrestricted.