I Just Went to NYFW—These Are the Emerging Brands That Stood Out to Me

While I’ll always look forward to the marquee names at New York Fashion Week—the kind of shows you base your entire calendar around—I get just as excited for the emerging brands every season. There’s something I’ve always loved about discovering unconventional new designers at the intersection of fashion, art, and culture—the ones who build their own aesthetic worlds and bring different perspectives to the industry. These are the types of runways, presentations, and showrooms I walk away from feeling reinspired, reminded of what fashion can do when it embraces unbridled experimentation and deeper self-expression.

For Spring/Summer 2026, the labels that stood out most to me were Jane Wade, Gabe Gordon, Meruert Tolegen, Colleen Allen, and Mel Usine. Below, a look at each of their latest collections.

Ever since Jane Wade started showing, she’s become one of the designers I look forward to every season because of how her work is sharp, consistent, and distinctly her own. While Fall/Winter 2025 was inspired by the executive suite, this time she shifted to warehouses and workwear with a collection titled The Fulfillment. With visual direction by Tre Crews and creative direction alongside Joe Van O, Wade focused on utilitarian looks with her signature sleek touch.