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New York Fashion Week may only be the first stop of fashion month, but this season, it gave us plenty to dissect: a buzzy debut at DVF, a knockout sophomore outing from Proenza Schouler, and a color you're about to see everywhere. In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, senior fashion editor Anna LaPlaca and Associate Director Kristen Nichols came straight from the shows to break down the collections, the trends, and the designers worth watching next. To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.
Which shows were you most anticipating this season, and did they live up to the hype?
Anna LaPlaca: DVF was the one I had my eye on all week, mostly because it marked Henry Zankov's debut as artistic director. He actually started his career at the house years ago working under Diane [von Furstenberg], so his return felt full circle. She even came out for a hug at the end of the show. What I loved most was his color story. DVF is known for print clashing, and the way he approached it felt really fresh, especially in how he reworked the wrap dress with color-blocked panels and contrasting ties pulled from the archives.
Kristen Nichols: For me, it was Proenza Schouler. Rachel Scott's [second collection] felt like she'd really settled in, fusing her own sense of print, color, and texture with everything we already love about the brand. It was the kind of collection where you want to wear every look head to toe. The PS1 Bag also made a comeback, which I think will be a huge moment for spring.
Any emerging designers who really delivered?
AL: Conner Ives crossing over from London to show in New York was a big headline moment, and the collection backed it up. He's technically still an emerging brand, but his aesthetic—opulent silks, embroidery, evening jackets, occasionwear moving into everyday dressing—is meeting the moment in a way that feels totally organic.
KN: I saw his show in London last season too, and it was interesting to see it translate to a bigger stage here. The people he cast felt so core to his world, and it brought the clothes to life in a different way.
What trends stood out as through lines this season?
AL: Cobalt, or Yves Klein blue, is the color of spring 2027. We spotted it at Kallmeyer, Simkhai, and Calvin Klein.
KN: I saw it at Proenza Schouler too. Beyond color, a real sense of romance and new takes on femininity run through the season—Ralph [Lauren's], Altuzarra's, and even Tory Burch's quirkier, embellished take on it.
AL: That ties into something we've been tracking for a few seasons now: this new era of maximalism [that's] less about logos and more about texture, print, and mixing the two.
Do you think these trends will actually make it to market?
KN: Jacquards and brocades—really opulent printed textiles—are already showing up for fall, so I'd expect major staying power heading into spring too.
AL: Evening jackets, specifically. I saw them all over the street style crowd this week, paired with denim or simple black trousers, and I think that's a piece worth investing in now rather than waiting for spring.
Who are your picks for designers to watch?
AL: Jamie Haller, whose flats are a Who What Wear staple at this point, just did her first presentation.
AL: I'm also watching In House Studio—minimalist but sporty, made sustainably for a customer similar to The Row or Colleen Allen.
KN: Colleen Allen is still doing presentations rather than a full runway show, and I'm waiting for that next step. I'd add Herbert Levine and Lii to the list as well.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.