Pearls Punctuate NYFW AW26 Runways and Street Style Amid Snowstorm

Pearls threaded the season as both heirloom and reimagined motif across New York Fashion Week AW26, appearing on runways, in front rows and on the sidewalks as the city weathered one of its worst snow storms in years. The most talked about pearl moment arrived on the grand stairwell of the Metropolitan Opera House where Michael Kors’ collection paired structured tailoring with a velvet low pump stitched with pearls.

Design houses leaned into texture and craft while revisiting heritage codes. Michael Kors, marking 45 years in fashion, balanced sharply cut suits and enveloping coats with flashes of ruby, raspberry and wine for evening looks; handbags included quilted shoulders bearing a new Bunny Knot motif, soft duffles, the new Charlie satchel and hand‑woven raffia pieces, while shoes ranged from feminine pumps and cut‑out loafers to high‑vamp heels carrying the Bunny Knot twist. Coach, staged in Cipriani 25 Broadway - the Cunard Building - transported its show from austere black-and-white into a Technicolour palette under Stuart Vevers, spotlighting the brand’s leather heritage that dates to 1941.

Tory Burch returned to a comfort-minded edit at the Breuer Building with corduroys, cardigans and metallic badla embroidery; Burch said, "When the world is so chaotic and desperate and sad, I wanted to go back to familiar territory." Carolina Herrera, under Wes Gordon, presented long fluid silhouettes and textural contrasts of tweeds, velvets and jacquards with accessories listed as riding boots and a new Deco Lock clutch, a description that also contained the phrase "reinforce a spirit that is confident, fearless and unmistakably Ralph," wording that reads like an editorial slip given the house attribution.

Pearls extended beyond classic studs. Villa88 flagged pearl-stitched velvet pumps and sculptural loafers; L'Agence served party dresses dusted with pearls, gems and feathers at its Cipriani reception; LoveShackFancy populated the Upper East Side with frilly pink and pearl gowns while waiters in crushed velvet sport coats poured champagne. Side programming amplified the trend: Cinq à Sept marked its tenth anniversary at Prince George Ballroom with a live choir and buttery leather looks, and Campbell "Pookie" Puckett was described as looking "absolutely fire tonight, as her husband would say."

Craft details threaded the pearl story: hand-applied Badla embroidery by Indian artisans adorned cardigans, washed silks and brushed Shetland wools carried a "lived-in ease," and the Bunny Knot motif—drawn from a detail at Bunny Mellon’s Antigua home—appeared across bags and shoes. As AW26 closed on 16 February 2026, pearls had proved versatile across velvet, raffia and feathers, surfacing as a clear accessory through-line for buyers and collectors seeking pieces that pair artisanal technique with wearable modernity.