Faux fur dominates the runway as New York Fashion Week gets under way | Canada Voices

Once the domain of breezy slip dresses, chiffon froth and other gossamer warm-weather fare, the spring 2026 collections seem ready for anything, from summer chills to dystopian thunderstorms.

Curiously, faux fur is everywhere. The fact that the material is largely petroleum based, shedding microplastics with each wear, hasn’t stopped it from becoming the industry’s answer to delivering on the still-irresistible glamour of fur. In fashion, as in life, compromises are rarely perfect.

At Alexander Wang, it appeared in voluminous collars and a sumptuous tiered coat (which was also seen in the front row on Cardi B, with her daughter Kulture in a matching faux fur skirt). Wang, absent from the NYFW calendar since 2018 and shadowed by sexual misconduct at the start of the decade, stepped out this season to mark his label’s 20th anniversary. For the designer, fur, along with other elements such as shirting with defined breast cups, are symbols of female power – specifically as personified by his mother, Ying Wang.

At Altuzarra, faux fur was paired with shearling to create a similar fantasy of the real deal, most memorably in a sharp-shouldered, 1940s-style jacket that looked like it was plucked straight out of Joan Crawford’s closet.

Designer Joseph Altuzarra also leaned into playful Surrealist allusions of the kind that flourished in art and design during the Second World War, including a floral blouse that appeared as if pieced together from sketches. The designer drew inspiration from AI and its ability to blur the lines between real and fake, delivering a collection that’s beautiful, fresh and a little mysterious.

“God has a plan. We are all waitresses in his sick little restaurant,” read the show notes at downtown disruptor Eckhaus Latta. The message was clear: The world may be going up in flames, but we can look sexy while it burns down around us.

On display were T-shirts with cut-outs so large they exposed entire chests; jeans that unzipped from hip to heel; and wispy layers that looked like they might come undone at any moment. The effect was electrifying – and not just because one model stomped down the runway with a lit joint in hand.

At Prabal Gurung’s show, which was held at the inclusive St. Bartholomew’s Church, the designer proved that fashion can be political even when steeped in incredible glamour. Postcards promoting the Gender Liberation Movement were placed on each seat and, on the runway, gowns undulated with embroidered florals and lace, and airy silk blouses were shown with slouchy wide-leg pants.

The show culminated with transgender actor and model Dominique Jackson in a cloud of pink feathers, just as the choir’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah hit its crescendo.

Earlier this year, Gurung published his memoir, Walk Like a Girl, about the prejudice he faced growing up in Nepal and India. Like the book, the show reflected hope for a brighter future. No matter how flawed it is, it’s all we’ve got.