Kors Kicks Off S/S26 NYFW with Boho Chic Tailoring
- Mimi Piqua
- Sep 11
- 3 min read
Michael Kors just presented his S/S26 Collection in New York as the first scheduled show to officially open NYFW. With a jaw-dropping guest list of fashion icons, and celebrities, the pressure was on.
The Michael Kors website describes their Spring/ Summer 2026 collection as:
Thankfully Kors managed to hit the nail on the head. There is no denying they perfectly encapsulates this. Now I'm here to share my opinions on the collection…
The one thing i have to comment on is the Boho - Chic take that seems to have truly been channeled throughout this collection. Fringe is definitely a friend to Kors. Elegant monochromatic looks with a Bohemian twist.
Many of the looks featured large Gold jewellery accessories - Kors is most definitely claiming Gold is the colour of S/S26! These gold pendants hung from thin strands of leather, creating an effortless ‘cool girl’ vibe.
Let’s get into the show…
Colour palette: Brown, Black, White, Cream, Grey, Beige, Yellow, Pink, Khaki, Gold
Patterns: Stripes (not excessive) , Snakeskin, Weave
Details: Tassels, Sequins, Bangles, Belts, Gold
Favourite Looks: Look 1, Look, 5, Look 9, Look 10, Look 33, Look 40, Look 47
Questionable Looks: Look 22, Look 24, Look 27, Look 29, Look 46
You can watch the entire show here:
Largely the looks followed a monochrome ideology, with a colour palette of mainly neutrals, which looked very put together (soon to be followed by a few honorary coloured looks). With a variety of shades, the monochrome worked really well with the entire energy of the collection, as well as the location. Creating great cohesion.
Fabrics were light and breathable, with delicate chiffon scarves that served no real purpose other than to elevate the elegance. The subtle sheerness added depth and a sense of quiet luxury.
However, the unexpected use of mesh felt jarring. A pale pink mesh dress (Look 29) made an unfortunate appearance towards the end, coming across as rather cheap, and to make matters worse, a trench coat with mesh panels followed. Absolutely not.
When it comes to patterns, there was little on show from Kors, aside from a few looks featuring varying stripe widths. Striped trousers offered a subtle point of interest, while the addition of an understated velvet trim on some skirts was a thoughtful detail that added a touch of texture.
ABOVE - LOOK (in order) 1, 5, 10
My standout look has to be the all-brown ensemble featured in Look 9 (shown at the top). A rich, monochromatic tailored suit, cinched with a double-wrapped belt that sculpted the silhouette to perfection. The brown-on-brown accessorising was masterful, fringed shoulder bag and dramatic statement earrings, with tassels so exaggerated they grazed the chest. It was all about elongation, movement, and bold confidence.
The accessorising across the collection was undeniably strong, with a consistent fringe motif tying many of the looks together. One bag even featured fringe so theatrically long it nearly swept the floor - fabulous for the runway, though perhaps not the most practical choice for everyday wear. As well as woven bags, and snakeskin print clutches.
Another great, yet confusing accessory was the recurring wallet necklace. Many of the looks featured a small, cardholder-style wallet dangling from the neck. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it... functional or just odd? Imagine paying for coffee by whipping out your necklace!
Simplistic silhouettes made a return - like the kimono-style shirts, which I loved. Timeless and effortlessly elegant, but the soft tailoring was my favourite.
ABOVE - LOOKS (in order) 33, 40, 47
The collection overall featured very little pattern, but this minimalism worked beautifully with the tone. The bohemian undertones were perfectly channelled, and the use of monochrome tied everything together seamlessly.
It wasn’t all monochrome, though. Towards the end of the lineup, we saw flashes of colour - honorary appearances from yellow, pink, khaki, and gold. One look in particular stood out (for the wrong reasons): Look 46 an overwhelmingly gold trench coat that felt completely out of sync with the rest of the 55 looks. It looked ridiculously cheap - as if it were made out of tinfoil!
That said, the final walk-through brought the collection together well. Despite some scattered use of colour, the overall vision remained strong. While not every look landed, Kors delivered a collection that felt wearable, refined, and quietly luxurious - with moments of boldness that (mostly) paid off.
A good collection, if not entirely consistent. Just maybe... skip the mesh next time.
With love,
Mimi x
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