At New York Fashion Week, music takes center stage as a significant aspect of the shows
In the heart of New York City, the fashion world came alive during the Spring/Summer 2026 season, with each show offering a unique sonic experience.
At Collina Strada, the final song was an unexpected operatic rendition of Smash Mouth's "All Star," a fitting finale to a show that explored the Jungian concept of the shadow self through disorienting club music, advertising spots, and other sounds. Collaborating with New York artist and DJ TT Britt, the musical direction was described as "Friendly Fascism," referencing the 1980 book by Bertram Myron Gross.
Over at the iconic Chelsea Hotel, Anna Sui's show was inspired by a creative colony in Taos, New Mexico, which attracted artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams in the early 1900s. The music ranged from the late '80s, to the '90s, to current day, featuring artists such as Mazzy Star, the Velvet Underground and Nico, Wednesday, Wet Leg, and Cowboy Junkies. Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs were among the attendees, adding to the event's star-studded atmosphere.
Eckhaus Latta's show was framed by a poem in the show notes, and the music was handled by the DJ and producer Galcher Lustwerk. The soundtrack hit a climax with the sound of a woman moaning, creating a subtle tension in the room.
The Mexican brand Campillo presented a show titled "Repetición," which started with an original composition featuring a poem by the philosopher Nezahualcóyotl. The music, created in collaboration with composer Ruzzi from Chihuahua, Mexico, was a roller coaster of emotions, jumping from classics to the future, including a Spanish cover of Daft Punk's "Something About Us." The clothing in the show honoured the idea of repetition as mantra, with a series of in-house knits.
Lustwerk also played a set of original productions all made in the last two weeks at Diotima's show. The women's collection by Rachel Scott was titled "Bacchanal" and transported onlookers to Carnival in the Caribbean. The sound for Khaite's spring/summer 2026 season was described as spectral, with the tracklist including Blur, Darkside, and Chopin.
Each show offered a unique musical journey, adding an extra layer of excitement and immersion to the fashion week experience. From the operatic renditions to the disorienting club music, the sounds of New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 will not be forgotten anytime soon.
