Fun Fashion Is Still Out There, You Just Need To Know Where To Look

During a New York Fashion Week where fashion felt simpler and more monochrome, here are the brands keeping things interesting.

Fashion, on a large scale, has gotten a lot simpler. The rise of so-called “recession indicator” fashion trends back in the spring promoted more basic, muted, monochromatic styles. And with revenues slowing across the industry and consumer sentiment dropping, it’s easy to understand why clothes are perhaps not leaning so bold or optimistic.

Now, as a busy and buzzy fashion month is unfolding with brands’ Spring / Summer 2026 runway collections, the whole simple fashion thing doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down any time soon. Not even for spring, it seems, are clothes getting any brighter.

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE MONOCHROME?

A quick scroll through Vogue Runway images from this latest New York Fashion Week would tell you that florals for spring are, in fact, quite groundbreaking. Across the board, designers opted for simpler and muted color palettes, and many ditched patterns—and florals—altogether.

In Veronica Leoni’s second collection for Calvin Klein, around one third—or 32%—of looks were monochromatic, sticking to either white or black. At Ralph Lauren, white dresses in simple silhouettes were seen in around 10% of looks. At Khaite, there were black monochromatic looks in 41% of the collection, with the remainder revolving around earth tones. Just one look deviated from the palette and sported a bright red, leather blazer.

Actually, most big-name brands this season—with the exception of very-pastel Tory Burch—went with a muted color palette. And while I’m sure most New Yorkers aren’t upset at the idea of wearing all-black outfits throughout the spring, it was interesting to see a commitment to monochrome on such a large scale.

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But, why is this happening? Sure, it could be random. More likely, though, it reflects an industry under pressure, whose outlook doesn’t seem so bright or colorful or floral. Does that mean all hope for fun fashion is lost?

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE MONOCHROME TUNNEL

Monochromatic looks aren’t necessarily bad or the enemy of fun fashion. As mentioned, they can be a smart strategy in a tough market. And simplicity doesn’t mean a designer can’t still play with textures, silhouettes, and accessories. Just take a look at how Coach is doing it.