NYFW Spring 2027: Waists, Joy and Parties
Thom Browne closed New York Fashion Week at The Shed. Vogue, Dazed and Who What Wear on the waist trend, the Cos incident and the party glut.
New York Fashion Week ended on Sept. 15 with Thom Browne's Spring/Summer 2027 show at The Shed in Hudson Yards, staged with a grassy garden set and a metamorphosis theme. Vogue's wrap-up, published Sept. 16, identifies one clear trend, a focus on the waist, along with a fashion-business argument about who benefits from all those shows.
The incident that became the story
NYFW is often criticized as predictable, Vogue writes, but not this time. An incident at Sunday's Cos show, in which CFDA CEO Steven Kolb physically interfered with Peta protesters, "became the story of the week" after video circulated online. By Monday afternoon Kolb posted an apology on Instagram Stories, and the CFDA board said he would be on leave pending further review. Vogue notes that, for the most part, attention stayed on the clothes after that. We have not found further reporting on the outcome of the review.
Who made an impression
Vogue's overview names several debuts and milestones. Rachel Scott and Henry Zankov each showed two collections, Scott for Proenza Schouler and Diotima and Zankov for Diane von Furstenberg and Zankov. Newcomers to the schedule such as Magda Butrym, Aisling Camps, Jamie Haller and Giovanna Flores stood out, with Flores taking appointments from her Brooklyn living room. Carolina Herrera celebrated 45 years and Coach 85. Veronica Leoni presented her fourth Calvin Klein Collection show, and Vogue calls Joseph Altuzarra's season a return to form.
Ralph Lauren showed an entirely womenswear collection that ran from preppy suits to lavish evening gowns. CEO Patrice Louvet said Ralph "wanted to inject" some irreverence. Eckhaus Latta turned its Friday night show into a double feature, with its core collection followed by a J.Crew collaboration.
Joy, play and the sea
Many designers went into the week "optimistic, seeking to offer a sense of joyousness and play in what many acknowledge are hard times," Vogue reports. Tory Burch leaned into joy and escapism, and Altuzarra drew on photographs from Casa Susanna, a Catskills retreat where men could dress as women. "I just love how joyful it was," he told Vogue Runway. Others reached for the sea: Aisling Camps, Zankov and Diotima took inspiration from it, in board shorts at Zankov and Society Archive Collection and wetsuit-like pieces at Attersee.
The trend: look at the waist
Vogue's trend section says the season was "all about the waist, or rather, what's decorating it." Kallmeyer, TWP and Heirlome offered new takes on the cummerbund. Brandon Maxwell topped jeans with a denim wraparound tied at the waist. Ashlyn and TWP laced skirts as belts, Diotima and Khaite used wavy peplums, and Lii used waist pouches that open into anoraks.
Retail buyers are already placing bets. Net-a-Porter's Brigitte Chartrand predicts "statement skirts with a sense of emotion and craft," with embroidery balanced against transparency. Mytheresa's Tiffany Hsu is watching Khaite's chiffon peplum tops and mini skater dresses. The 1960s was the dominant reference, from Zankov's 1960s Russia to Michael Kors's mood board of Edie Sedgwick and Nico and Lii's teen idols.
Function was another theme, a New York specialty. TWP's blazers have hidden elastic to keep sleeves rolled up, and a modular blazer converts to a dress or pants, per Vogue.
The business of showing
Vogue's most useful passage describes what one founder called a "designer Hunger Games." Cult Gaia founder Jasmin Hekmat said big brands call dibs on celebrity guests and models. Designers used their slots to push categories with growth: Proenza Schouler's return of the PS1 bag marks the first major handbag push of Scott's tenure. One designer, Heirlome's Stephanie Suberville, said models she normally works with in Mexico had lost their US visas in the past six months and could not take part.
Two more readings
Who What Wear counted 63 runway shows and named cobalt blue the clear color winner, plus full midi skirts, liquid satin, softer corsets and sculptural ruffles. Dazed's Sept. 18 roundup describes Rachel Scott's second Proenza Schouler collection as built on how New York women break rules, with animal prints and bright yellows, and notes that the PS1 Walker bag was made with Reed Krakoff and shown in a former Barneys. At Calvin Klein, Leoni's show notes said "Take everything away. What is left is desire." Dazed describes Thom Browne's set as insect-themed, with a plaid trench embroidered with a sunflower.
The party problem
There were more parties than anyone could attend, with Vogue's parties editor counting roughly 50 on her radar. One PR called the volume a recession indicator, with brands spending budgets now in fear of losing them. A rosier view in Vogue is that brands are betting on the US customer by opening stores and securing face time in the city.
What we could not confirm
We saw no sales data on how the trends will perform, and the CFDA's review of Kolb had no published outcome in the sources we opened.
FAQ
When did New York Fashion Week spring 2027 end?
On Sept. 15, 2026, with Thom Browne's show at The Shed.
What was the main trend?
Waist decoration: cummerbunds, wraparounds, skirts worn as belts and peplums, per Vogue.
What was the biggest controversy?
An incident at the Cos show involving CFDA CEO Steven Kolb and Peta protesters.
Sources
*Cover photo: UKinUSA, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrew_Bolton_OBE_Honours_Evening_with_Dame_Anna_Wintour_in_the_United_States_on_30_October_2024_-_40.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrew_Bolton_OBE_Honours_Evening_with_Dame_Anna_Wintour_in_the_United_States_on_30_October_2024_-_40.jpg)* (CC BY-SA 2.0).*