16/09/2026

LYFE WEDNESDAY | SEPT 16, 2026

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DVF returns to runway spotlight with Henry Zankov at helm GUESTS in wrap dresses and bright colors gathered on New York’s High Line recently as Belgian fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) returned to the runway for the first time in nearly a decade, opening New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Zankov pushed a bolder mix of prints, textures and colour. Animal prints met vivid blocks of colour and clashing patterns, while metallic pieces added flashes of shine. The collection reflected Zankov’s view of modern womanhood as something that transcends age.

New artistic director Henry Zankov made his debut for the label, marking a homecoming. Zankov joined DVF as a knitwear designer in 2014, spent four years at the company and later launched his own namesake brand. Zankov said he aims to carry forward von Furstenberg’s legacy through “body language and sensuality and seduction and fabric and freedom.” While the house’s signature wrap dress remained central to the collection, appearing alongside wrap tops and flowing capes,

“I think all women are modern. The clothes are like tools and you use them how you want to,” he said. The show returned DVF to the NYFW calendar while placing Zankov, known for his colourful, graphic knitwear, at the helm of one of American fashion’s most recognisable brands. Von Furstenberg founded DVF in 1972, whose mission is to empower women through style. – Reuters

Michael Kors runs on stripes, hues MICHAEL KORS unveiled his spring/summer 2027 collection during New York Fashion Week with bright pops of colour and graphic stripes, inspired by the runway show’s setting at the Museum of Modern Art sculpture garden. Models strutted across the marble floor wearing looks designed for a range of casual and formal warm-weather occasions, from one-shoulder evening gowns and professional two-piece sets to striped summer dresses. “I love the tension of something sculptural with something very crisp,” Kors, who launched his namesake brand 45 years ago, said, citing the work of artists Carmen Herrera, Alexander Calder and Ellsworth Kelly as inspirations for the designs. The line showcased a predominantly black and white palette – “it’s New York,” Kors said – but the collection was punctuated by moments of red, green and yellow. Several of the outfits were paired with Kors’s signature handbags. Guests included actors Gabrielle Union-Wade, Grace Van Patten and Glee star Lea Michele. Michael Kors’s parent company Capri Holdings cut its annual revenue forecast last month. It cited second-quarter inventory delays at the Michael Kors brand and softer demand for its pricey handbags and accessories due to conflict in the Middle East. In a bid to drive a reset at Michael Kors, Capri has pulled back on promotions and focused on revamping its stores to drive direct-to-consumer sales at full price, while also investing in product innovation. Models present creations from the latest Michael Kors collection during New York Fashion Week. – REUTERSPIC

Models present creations from the latest Diane Von Furstenberg collection. – REUTERSPIC

Ralph Lauren goes fur-free

L EGENDARY US designer Ralph Lauren recently kicked off New York Fashion Week (NYFW) with his namesake brand’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection, as the industry showcase implemented its first full ban on fur on the runway. The 86-year-old designer, whose preppy aesthetic has influenced American style for decades, featured looks that emphasised his signature colours, navy blue and white. Hints of gold, beige and dusty rose completed the palette. Oscar-winning actresses Viola Davis and Ariana DeBose joined Wicked star Cynthia Erivo in the front row at the show, which took place on the eve of fashion week’s official launch. The label said the collection sought to upend “traditional notions of chic” and rework historical silhouettes. Suit trousers were paired with a leather jacket, a boater hat and ballet slippers. Of course, there were gowns that the A-list Hollywood talent could easily wear to red carpet events, reported AFP. US fashion house Coach, known for its handbags and other leather accessories, hosted the only other show that day – a calm night before the fashion frenzy picks up pace, beginning in New York before heading to London, Milan and Paris. Both brands have found success this year o US designer embraces navy blue, white signatures

Models walk the runway during the Ralph Lauren fashion show. – AFPPIC

champion Travis Kelce, who happens to be Taylor Swift’s husband. Other shows during the roughly 70 collections that hit New York runways last week included Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera and Thom Browne. In December, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which organises New York Fashion Week, announced it would ban animal fur from its official events beginning September.

despite a slowing luxury market due to their more accessible branding, with each reporting double-digit revenue growth in the last quarter. NYFW went into full swing last week, with Henry Zankov debuting his first collection as artistic director at Diane von Furstenberg. Other shows last week included Proenza Schouler, Christian Siriano, Tory Burch and Tommy Hilfiger – which made waves with its latest ad campaign featuring Super Bowl

Tommy Hilfiger’s colourful return to New York Fashion Week 2026 AMERICAN designer Tommy Hilfiger brought a youthful mix of oversized polo shirts and plaid bucket hats to his spring and summer 2027 collection, unveiled at Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel on the first official day of New York Fashion Week (NYFW). “Here we are with a new look – but still Tommy Hilfiger,” Hilfiger told Reuters before the show, which marked his return to NYFW after a hiatus. “We wanted to show the youth that we were able to take our classics and rework them and reintroduce them.”

Hadid opens the Tommy Hilfiger show in red pants and a tan suit jacket paired with

a navy blue bucket hat.

The designer, 75, launched his namesake brand in 1985 and emphasised the latest collection aims to appeal to Gen Z. The brand, owned by PVH Corp, has leaned into what it calls its “Prep Made Current” aesthetic, drawing inspiration from classic American looks. Model Kate Moss, singers Camila Cabello and Jisoo, New York Knicks players Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, and actor Patrick Schwarzenegger were among the front-row spectators. Violinists filled the room with renditions of hip-hop songs, including Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind , before a live performance by singer Slayyyter rounded out the show.

Guests watched the runway show recently from plush green armchairs arranged throughout the carpeted lobby of the hotel – a venue of personal significance for Hilfiger, who lived in a penthouse there with his wife for over a decade. Model Gigi Hadid opened the show wearing loose-fitting red pants and a tan suit jacket paired with a navy blue bucket hat. The looks that followed were dominated by Hilfiger’s quintessential bright red and navy blue palette, interspersed with an array of bold colours and patterns from bright yellow pants to a flowing silk dress.