At New York Fashion Week, designers were divided between spectacle and realism | Canada Voices

At New York Fashion Week, runways diverged into two distinct camps: one leaned into fabulous, frothy glitz that was rich in spectacle, while the other was rooted in the everyday (though often still at luxury prices).

In the fantasy camp was Willy Chavarria, who reprised his spring 2026 women’s wear collection for French department store Printemps after previously showing the clothes during the men’s shows this summer. The intimate, salon-style presentation, held at the luxury chain’s New York outpost, evoked the early days of couture. Pieces included sharp-shouldered skirt suits in primary hues, wide-brimmed hats with Old Hollywood overtones and a backless gown worthy of the era’s vixens.

Christian Siriano brought his guests to the basement of Macy’s, where he doled out similarly cinematic looks in both black and white and technicolour. Canadian model Coco Rocha opened the show in a polka-dot and striped skirt suit, while the evening wear that followed ran the gamut from Dynasty to Grecian-inspired with big shoulders and seductive draping.

Earlier in the week, Rachel Antonoff and Susan Alexandra staged the second edition of their rescue dog pageant, which featured glittering leashes, beaded dog bags and celebrity walkers including Edie Falco and Christina Hendricks.

Back in reality, many designers have been teasing the idea of simply making clothes that women want to wear. What that means, however, varies widely. At Tory Burch, it took the form of low-slung trousers, asymmetrical belts and skirts ranging from pencil to full in gorgeous pastel colours. Khaite had a darker, more sensual take on the everyday: asymmetrical leather outerwear with sharp tailoring, deconstructed corsets stuffed with tulle, and sheer and exposed detailing.

At COS, guests who wanted to wear the fall 2025 pieces right away were in luck: The clothes were already available to purchase. Created by design director Karin Gustafsson, the collection was more of the same minimalism that the Swedish brand (the sophisticated older sister of H&M) is known for. The runway was populated with charcoal grey and ink black boxy outerwear, sculptural silk dresses, and silhouettes that recalled Dior’s famed New Look from 1947 (cinched waists, A-line skirts and open necklines). The brand left the spectacle to its front row, which was stacked with A-listers such as Lauryn Hill, Naomi Watts and Jodie Turner-Smith.

Meanwhile, Coach staged an ode to youthful American style. Its incredibly popular handbags were reimagined and presented alongside pieces that blended polish and grit: shrunken leather vests paired with wide-leg pants so long they trailed across the floor. For spring, creative director Stuart Vevers reconceived the brand’s signature “kisslock” closure with a barrel bag that features the golden snap on the exterior. The snap also appeared on locket-style necklaces with compartments just large enough to hold a few coins. The leather itself oscillated between soft, waxy finishes and ones that were roughed up, pebbled and foiled.

Coach, ultimately, was where fantasy and reality converged: an American dream dressed up for the runway – but anchored by the very real draw of bags that everyone still wants to carry.