Fall 2026 marks Michael Kors’ 45th anniversary and to celebrate it on Thursday, he put on a stellar night to remember at Lincoln Center’s Metropolitan Opera House.
Staging his show across two floors of the famed opera house’s red-carpeted entry beneath its gold ceiling and shimmering chandeliers, the American designer reminded the crowd and his Hollywood-studded front row — who included Leslie Bibb, Uma Thurman, Rachel Zegler, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dakota Fanning, Kate Mara and many more — of the joy of fashion.
During a preview, Kors reflected on his career and said his connective thread, which certainly includes his love of “indulgence, glamour and luxury,” is at the same time, casual and comfortable.
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“Ultimately, New York is a contradiction, because this is the greatest, toughest place in the world which at times can be the most glamorous, over the top, sort of magical place. That juxtaposition, that polar opposite kind of friction that goes back and forth, is what I think makes people interesting, places interesting and fashion interesting. I agree with that. I think it all goes together,” he said.
These ideas were combined seamlessly in his fall collection, which was city chic and dramatic, without the fuss.
Kors said he’s always viewed his approach to design like a pantry, whipping up the essentials and spices in different ways. The fall lineup was a five-star dish filled with many exciting new ingredients.
For instance, Kors’ hallmark tailoring came with a new fluidity, as seen through a pair of gray trousers cut into a skirt with a dramatic train at its back, while one side of a tropical wool blazer was softened with an elongated bias panel and paired with his signature black turtleneck, which was actually a dickie, for “layering without the bulk,” he said.
Daywear was extended with luxurious stovepipe trouser jeans, in cashmere and cotton; statement outerwear, like an exaggerated portrait-collared tailored topper, standout pea coats and furry stoles, slick leather gloves and architectural accessories that added oomph to his cozy knit dressing.
And at Michael Kors, a “cocktail dress is not always a cocktail dress,” he said, so instead, supermodel Christy Turlington, who starred in Kors’ first campaign, closed his show in a billowing, train-adorned black top that had the ease of a T-shirt with elegance for nights on the town, worn with microscopic paillette-adorned silk georgette trousers. There also was a beautiful hand-embroidered, full 3D floral skirt in pink and red shades alongside paillette- and feather-adorned coats and fresh tops.
“In an urban situation where we do live in gray, black, neutral, those shades of red and pink and wine just sum up the perfect exclamation point,” Kors said of his Irving Penn-inspired palette.
“There are times, though, when only a gown will do,” he quipped of striking monochrome black and red gowns with microscopic, hand-cut 3D floral embellishments. The looks were topped with built-in stoles — perfect for his woman ready to make her glamorous, head-turning entrance.