Michael Kors Fall 2026 Collection

Last night, the Metropolitan Opera House belonged to Michael Kors. Celebrating 45 years of his label, the designer chose one of New York’s most iconic venues to mark the occasion. Guests arrived in the Met’s grand lobby, surrounded by Chagall paintings, winding ramps and staircases covered in red carpet, and the glittering Sputnik chandeliers of Hans Harald Rath. There, the city’s glamour felt immediate yet rare, a reminder that elegance still exists alongside the everyday grit of New York life. The audience, a mix of celebrities, loyal clients, socialites, and board members from charitable organisations, settled in among sumptuous furs, sequined dresses, tailored trousers, and unexpected pairings of jeans with diamonds or jacquard T-shirts. It was a distinctly Korsian blend of high and low, a vision he described as enjoying “a potato chip with caviar.”

The show itself threaded that balance of restraint and indulgence. Models wound their way across multiple floors to a soundtrack blending Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Sia’s Chandelier, and Rihanna’s Diamonds. Silhouettes ranged from big white button-down shirts paired with feathery pencil skirts to sheer tops under longline blazers, bias-cut dresses, and feathered opera coats. Tailoring was precise yet effortless, with jumps between casual and dramatic, playful sequins, opera gloves, and gowns that moved fluidly. Christy Turlington closed the runway in a sequined gown that felt regal yet modern, a perfect embodiment of Kors’s intention to combine opulence with timeless, streamlined design.

For Kors, the evolution of the New York woman has always been central. “The rules have disappeared,” he said. “You can be 75 and wear a short skirt. You can wear flip-flops in the city. You can wear boots in the summer. You can wear jeans with paillettes.” His career has long championed self-expression and versatility, creating style that accommodates movement, practicality, and individuality. As the show concluded to the strains of Native New Yorker, audience members swayed and sang along while Kors took his bow, aviators on and grin wide. The evening reaffirmed that, after 45 years, Michael Kors remains a defining voice of New York fashion.