New York Fashion Week kicked off fashion month with a style-packed schedule of top American designers showing their fall/winter 2025 collections. Let’s recap some of the standout shows that had the fashion crowd buzzing.
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs unveiled his ready-to-wear collection, inspired by “Courage” and turning models into life-sized dress-up dolls. The collection was distinguished by its exaggerated silhouettes, featuring voluminous skirts, padded sweaters, and trousers that gave the models a playful Polly Pocket vibe.
Footwear designs included elongated, elfin-like boots and sharply pointed heels, emphasizing bold self-expression. The overall presentation encouraged audiences to embrace creativity and confront contemporary challenges through fashion.
Christian Siriano
Christian Siriano’s collection took inspiration from his father’s classic car collection, seamlessly blending automotive-inspired designs with sustainable fashion practices, offering a fresh perspective on modern luxury. In true Siriano fashion, there was no shortage of show-stopping gowns, and the runway featured a palette of red, blue, black, and gold, with voluminous fabrics and metallic materials. Notable designs included prints simulating oil slicks and tire-inspired materials, showcased through corseted dresses and exaggerated silhouettes.
Siriano collaborated with Circ to incorporate sustainable fashion into his collection. Two pieces—a full-length black trench coat and a pants-and-bra ensemble—were crafted entirely from Circ Lyocell, a recycled textile resembling silk. This initiative marked Siriano’s first use of fully sustainable fabrics, aiming to demonstrate that eco-friendly materials can exude luxury and elegance, particularly in evening wear.
Christopher John Rogers
Christopher John Rogers made a celebrated return to New York Fashion Week after a five-year hiatus, presenting his Fall/Winter collection titled “Exhale,” which embodied a spirit of defiance and individuality, seamlessly integrating expressive occasionwear with playful daywear. The collection drew inspiration from artists Angela de la Cruz and Hélio Oiticica, emphasizing a celebration of individuality.
The show featured 38 looks, starting with vibrant reds and oranges, transitioning through greens and yellows, and culminating in multicoloured gowns. The designs showcased a variety of textiles, including matte cotton piques, wool tailoring, rich satins, and silk grosgrain. While the collection predominantly embraced bold colours, it also incorporated more subdued pieces, such as all-black gowns and suits with subtle rainbow stitching. The final look was a minimalist trench coat, underscoring the collection’s diverse range.
Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein marked its return to New York Fashion Week after a six-year hiatus, unveiling the Fall/Winter collection under the direction of new creative lead Veronica Leoni. Leoni, with a background at The Row, Céline, and Jil Sander, drew heavily from the brand’s 1990s archives, presenting a modern take on minimalism and tailoring infused with nostalgia. Leoni’s debut successfully blended the brand’s heritage with contemporary elements, establishing a refined yet wearable identity.
The collection featured oversized scarf coats, body-skimming jackets, and structured skirt suits, with a palette dominated by rich greys, whites, and iconic Calvin Klein hues. Notable pieces included elongated, baggy coats and angular pinstripe skirt suits with subtle shoulder pads. Footwear designs paid homage to past styles, while modern touches like custom tags and a reimagined CK One perfume bottle were introduced.
Thom Browne
Thom Browne conquered fashion week with a captivating Fall/Winter collection that artfully blended his signature tailoring with bird-inspired motifs. The runway was adorned with origami birds, setting a whimsical tone for the presentation.
Browne’s designs showcased his distinctive approach to proportion and structure, with playful interpretations of traditional suiting. The collection balanced conceptual artistry with wearable fashion, encouraging individuality and self-expression.
The collection featured 64 looks, predominantly in Browne’s classic grey and navy palette. Models took to the runway in a series of innovative suiting designs that included British-made tweeds embroidered with herons and magpies.
Tory Burch
Tory Burch unveiled her Fall/Winter collection at the Museum of Modern Art, and offered a “twisted” take on American sportswear, featuring exaggerated shapes and unconventional details. Notable designs included layered outfits with sweaters, overcoats, reimagined track pants, and dresses crafted from textured velvet and jersey.
Innovative elements such as “handbag jackets” with multiple pockets and oversized sleeves on jackets and shirts added a playful twist to classic silhouettes. Overall, the collection was praised for its innovation, depth, and portrayal of female strength.
Michael Kors
Michael Kors presented his Fall/Winter collection titled “Dégagé Chic,” praised for its timeless, warm, and modern aesthetic, exemplifying “cozy modernism” and effortless chic. The show emphasized relaxed yet sophisticated fashion, blending comfort with glamour. Key pieces included softly tailored menswear-inspired coats and jackets paired with pleated skirts and trousers, lightweight silk dresses, draped blouses, and textural shearling outerwear.
The colour palette featured rich tones of chocolate, caramel, bottle green, aubergine, greys, and classic black and white, accented by shades of iris and celadon. Footwear focused on boots, ranging from ankle to riding styles with architectural heels, while accessories showcased streamlined travel-inspired bags like bowling bags, satchels, and oversized clutches.
Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera’s Creative Director, Wes Gordon, unveiled a collection of 66 looks, praised for its innovation, depth, and portrayal of female strength. The show was set against a striking backdrop featuring individual flowers emerging from piles of debris, creating a haunting yet chic atmosphere.
The collection showcased a minimalist, black-and-white monochrome theme punctuated with bright pops of color. Gordon’s designs featured exaggerated shapes and unconventional details, including a combination of mini dresses and menswear-inspired pieces.
How to Attend Fashion Week
Dreaming of going to the shows in person? Publicist and fashion pro, Lyndi Barrett, shares her tips on scoring passes to the shows IRL:
To gain access to a fashion show, you need to receive an invitation from the PR team. The public relations team will send out invitations to the show to guests they are familiar with. If you have not been invited directly, you can email the PR department. These are called show requests. Each show requires a different show request, even if the same agency is doing multiple runway shows.
There is usually a dedicated email address to send in a show request. In your email to PR, be clear with your ask and what you will be providing in turn for the seat (for example, a show review or content on social media—think about the value you’re providing to the brand).
Do your research on who the designer is, and their collection. Some of the first shows I got invited to at London Fashion Week (which is notoriously challenging to get passes for) were because the designer was originally from Canada. I reached out to let them know I was a fellow Canadian and let them know what coverage I would provide: Great press in their home city after their show!
When you do snag a show invite, be careful to remember proper etiquette and best practices:
Whenever I see someone at Fashion Week posting from a fashion show, but they miss providing the designer’s name and handle, my heart sinks. There are never enough seats at a fashion show, so the designer is hoping every person attending the show is going to provide some type of coverage. This is how they build brand recognition and why they have a show in the first place.
Be careful not to overpack your schedule. Since every spot is so coveted, missing a show is a big no-no. The brand’s PR team will notice, and you will not be invited back.
A good Fashion Week season comes down to your network. If I brand says no to an invite, be polite, and if you can, still cover the show! This will help show your value to receive an invitation next season.
The Bottom Line
New York Fashion Week gave us a feast of fashion inspiration, cool-girl glamour, and fresh trends that we can’t wait to wear. We can’t wait to see what the rest of fashion month brings!
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Jeanine Gordon is a freelance content marketer with a passion for creating stellar strategies for global brands and small businesses alike, specializing in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
Designer Images from NOWFASHION.