Michael Kors Fall Winter 2025-2026 “Great New Yorker and the Art of Dégagé Couture”. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo / Video Courtesy: Michael Kors.
In a world increasingly obsessed with the artificial construction of “effortlessness,” Michael Kors stands as a designer who understands that true ease—true glamour—is not something you chase, but something you own. This season, with a collection that embodies the laissez-faire attitude of New York’s most stylish inhabitants, Kors once again redefines what it means to be modern, elegant, and unmistakably American.
New York, Not Paris—And Proudly So
For Fall/Winter 2025-2026, Kors made one thing clear: New York doesn’t need to look to Europe for inspiration. “Everywhere you go in the world, people want a sense of ease,” he remarked backstage. And it’s that very ease—the studied nonchalance of Zoë Kravitz dodging paparazzi, the cool dishevelment of ’90s-era Sharon Stone stepping off a private jet—that defined the collection.
This wasn’t a nostalgic tribute to Manhattan style. It was a reassertion of its dominance. Yes, the collection nodded to that uniquely French term dégagé—the art of appearing effortlessly chic—but, as Kors wryly noted, “This is New York. Why would you chase Europe?” The answer, of course, is that you wouldn’t.
The Anatomy of Movement: Asymmetry, Fluidity, and the Illusion of Immediacy
Kors’ mastery lies in his ability to make high fashion feel instinctual. This season, movement was key. Gone were rigid, over-structured silhouettes. Instead, asymmetry and bias-cutting ruled:
- Pleated skirts with stepped hems—a deliberate imbalance that created natural motion.
- Diagonal seams spiraling down jackets and vests, emphasizing the body’s dynamic energy.
- Paper-bag waistbands—not a careless accident but an artfully undone elegance.
The message? The best kind of chic is the kind that looks like it wasn’t planned. Kors reminds us that real glamour lies in the way we wear the clothes, not just in the clothes themselves.
Opulent Minimalism: The Kors Approach to Eveningwear
Red carpets may be awash in sculpted corsets and engineered spectacle, but Kors continues to reject all things constrictive. His eveningwear this season was about bouncy, liquid sequined jerseys, offering high-impact glamour without the rigidity. There were plunging tank dresses, effortlessly draped mock-necks, and soft T-shirt silhouettes—each an example of what he calls opulent minimalism.
This is a designer who understands that glamour is not about restriction. It’s about confidence, ease, and the power of knowing exactly who you are.
Michael Kors: 44 Years of Defining American Luxury
It is no small feat to remain relevant in an industry that devours trends as quickly as it invents them. But after 44 years, Michael Kors has done more than endure—he has continued to define the lexicon of modern luxury. This collection was not about reinvention for reinvention’s sake. It was about evolution—about staying true to the very essence of New York style: polished but unstudied, dynamic yet timeless, elegant but never overdone.
And that, perhaps, is Kors’ greatest legacy. In a world of calculated excess, he remains the maestro of something far more difficult: effortless grandeur.
See All Looks Michael Kors Fall Winter 2025-2026
