NYFW Spring 2027: The Shows, The Trends, And The Designers You Need To Know

While New York Fashion Week marks only the opening chapter of fashion month, this season presented a wealth of noteworthy moments: an eagerly anticipated debut at DVF, an impressive second collection from Proenza Schouler, and a standout hue destined to dominate the season. In the latest installment of The Who What Wear Podcast, senior fashion editor Anna LaPlaca and Associate Director Kristen Nichols shared their immediate impressions fresh from the runway shows, offering detailed analysis of the collections, emerging trends, and emerging talent deserving attention. Key observations from their discussion appear below.

Throughout the week, DVF stood out to Anna LaPlaca as the collection that held her attention, largely because Henry Zankov had just taken over as the house's new artistic director. He'd started his career at the brand under Diane von Furstenberg, which made his return feel like a true full-circle arrival. At the show's close, Diane von Furstenberg herself stepped out to embrace him. What LaPlaca singled out for praise was his handling of color. DVF has long been associated with clashing prints, yet his take on that signature brought something unexpectedly new, visible in the way he reimagined the wrap dress through color-blocked panels and contrasting ties drawn from the archives.

Kristen Nichols found herself drawn instead to Proenza Schouler, where Rachel Scott's second collection at the brand's helm read as though she'd truly come into her own, blending her distinct take on print, color, and texture into the qualities people already love about the label. Every look in the collection carried an aspirational pull, each one feeling complete and wearable on its own. Nichols also pointed to the comeback of the PS1 Bag as something she expects will become a major commercial and cultural touchstone going into spring.

According to LaPlaca, Conner Ives's move from London to the New York calendar stood out as a notable development, and the collection backed up that attention. Even though the brand is still considered emerging, his approach—opulent silks, detailed embroidery, evening jackets, and occasion wear shifting toward daily wardrobes—aligns naturally with the current cultural moment.

Nichols had caught his London show the season before and came away finding the New York edition compelling. The casting choices reinforced his artistic vision, giving the clothes a different kind of presence on New York's bigger stage.

LaPlaca identified cobalt, alternatively described as Yves Klein blue, as spring 2027's defining chromatic choice. The shade appeared repeatedly across collections including Kallmeyer, Simkhai, and Calvin Klein.

That same blue also appeared repeatedly across Proenza Schouler's presentation, according to Nichols. Beyond the color itself, the season carried a noticeable thread of romance and fresh interpretations of femininity, something visible in what Ralph Lauren put forward, in Altuzarra's vision, and in Tory Burch's more embellished, quirkier spin on the idea.

This direction ties into a broader shift that's been building across several seasons: an emerging maximalism built less around logos and more around texture and print, with the two increasingly combined.

Nichols noted that jacquards and brocades—displaying rich printed textiles—are already appearing in fall collections, suggesting these textiles will maintain relevance heading toward spring deliveries.

LaPlaca emphasized evening jackets as a particularly wearable category. Throughout the week's street style documentation, these pieces appeared repeatedly paired with everyday denim or simple black trousers, suggesting they represent pieces worth investing in now rather than waiting for spring.

LaPlaca identified Jamie Haller, whose flat shoes have become a Who What Wear staple at this point, as someone whose inaugural presentation merits attention. She's also monitoring In House Studio, a label emphasizing minimalist aesthetics infused with athletic influences, produced through sustainable practices for customers gravitating toward The Row or Colleen Allen's approach.

Nichols included Colleen Allen on her watch list, noting that the designer continues with presentations rather than full-scale runway shows, and Nichols is waiting for that next step. She additionally highlighted Herbert Levine and Lii as emerging talents deserving consideration. AM