The Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia are hubs for creative talent, talent often overlooked in the Western world. Art from the Near East is influenced by thousands of years of culture, empire, resistance, and community, bringing valuable contributions into Western celebrations of art and design. This season’s fashion month provided an opportunity for these regions’ designers to showcase their heritage, as their muse, on the global stage.
Norma Kamali SS26 New York Fashion Week
Norma Kamali, the Lebanese-American tastemaker of the 80s, arrived at New York Fashion Week with a revival of her acclaimed 1980 Sweats collection. This collection somehow feels more appealing to today’s consumer than it did upon its original release, tapping into the current romanticization of retro aesthetics with the modern craving for neutral palettes. The Sweats line of her 2026 Spring/Summer collection embraces the comfort of traditional loungewear, but insists upon an elegance and polish that one would not find in the average athleisure. To pair with the Sweats, Kamali introduced two new lines into this showcase; the Lifestyle and the Wardrobe. The Lifestyle is the only addition of color into this collection, with soft pink adding a touch of femininity to the line of basics and swimwear. However, the Wardrobe was a personal standout in this showcase, a collection of tailored black and white dresses with an option for every occasion. There isn’t a length, cut, sleeve, or fit missing from this line, yet every dress looks cohesive together in this reinterpretation of vintage glamor. While this collection is undeniably from the past, it feels like exactly what modern audiences have been trying to emulate.
Amir Taghi SS26 New York Fashion Week
Amir Taghi’s runway debut was one for the books, earning the Iranian-American designer a spot on Women’s Wear Daily’s list of “Ones to Watch” and a feature story in Vogue. This collection deeply featured Taghi’s Persian background, drawing inspiration from 70’s Iran and the current political climate. Each look was highly tailored, pairing suits and jackets with slim pants and structured skirts inspired by the region’s architecture and adorned with Islamic patterns and embellishments. Many looks paired with a scarf or had a flowy element to them, contrasting with the rigidity of the angular pieces. Taghi credits this style to Googoosh, the Iranian singer and collection’s muse, as well as his perception of Iran’s headscarf mandate. The standout piece was an embellished gold lace dress, standing out amongst the orderly sea of neutrals. With his debut, Taghi not only exhibited his technical skill but his cultural literacy in how he presents his art and the concepts that inspired it.
Bibhu Mohapatra SS26 New York Fashion Week
Inspired by the diversity in the new generation of Indian women, Indian-American designer Bibhu Mohapatra embraces rebirth and renewal in his Spring 2026 line. Unlike the neutrals that dominated this New York Fashion Week, Mohapatra embraces color with vibrant and rich reds, blues, pinks, and chartreuse. While it may not appeal to the current minimalist trend, Mohapatra’s love letter to the youth of today still delivers in intention. The layering and adapting of more traditional pieces into elegant eveningwear speaks to the diaspora, to a generation of young people living in between cultures. The classic silhouettes of the gowns stand out with the added opulent embellishments, giving a modern look that will still stand the test of time. Mohapatra’s collection honors heritage all while looking towards the future, his vision of a brighter future for women being timeless.
Noon By Noor SS26 London Fashion Week
Bahraini label Noon By Noor, headed by cousins Shaikha Noor Al Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al Khalifa, revealed their SS26 collection, Mirage, at London Fashion Week; a minimalist collection brought to life by pure craftsmanship and artistic vision. The collection is aptly named, featuring a series of pieces with characteristics that cause the pieces to feel almost otherworldly. While clearly being luxurious and tailored, they give off a sense of practicality, as if one could wear them in a far off dystopian future in a dusty landscape. The collection sticks to a palette of desert tones, with the exception of the occasional pop of vermillion. There are very few reused silhouettes, but each look gave off some type of illusion. Structured suits would look industrial instead of tailored and form fitting, fabrics shimmered in a way that nearly looked transparent, and everything flowed as if it came with a desert breeze sewn into the hem. Each piece was wearable, yet grand.
Dhruv Kapoor SS26 Milan Fashion Week
Dhruv Kapoor introduced his Spring/Summer 26 collection, Foundation and Futures, at Milan Fashion Week, a subversive collection that goes against fashion and global cultural norms. Kapoor, an Indian designer, took what was historically hidden, shameful, and immodest and reclaimed it as something to be seen by all. The looks behind this collection revolve around combining Indian cultural clothing with traditional undergarments; the Foundation with the Future. The silhouettes were untraditional as Kapoor experimented with layering, petticoats and slips were intentionally shown and elevated. Designs featured classic Indian pieces, like the kurta and bandhgala jacket, altered and adapted to show that tradition does have a place in a modern climate. Mixing masculine with feminine and transforming tradition, Kapoor’s collection was bold in its intention, bringing visibility to the invisible.
With Paris Fashion Week upcoming to close out fashion month, there are still many designers to look forward to:
- Casablanca, a French-Moroccan brand founded by Charaf Tajer, showing on October 1st, 2025
- Dice Kayek, a Franco-Turkish brand founded by sisters Ece and Ayse Ege, showing October 4th
- Elie Saab, a Lebanese brand founded by Elie Saab, showing October 4th
