Art Deco opulence met razor-sharp tailoring as Malan Breton unveiled his FW2026 runway, proving once again that fashion can be most powerful — and fun — after dark.

The designer is known for dressing such stars as Dame Emma Thompson, Priyanka Chopra, Janelle Monáe, Minnie Driver, Kylie Minogue, Raye and Brenda Song — and has been a fixture of NYFW for years. Notable attendees to this year’s show included the designer himself of course, Malan Breton, along with Alex Garfin, Jessica Pimentel, Crystal Waters, Baayork Lee, Dave Davies (The Kinks), Peppermint, Marouane Zotti, Sorana, Stephanie Simon, Michael Musto and Consuelo Vanderbilt-Costin. 

I sat front row at the runway show which was held at the historic Leman Ballroom in the Financial District — and the coed presentation channeled the visual lexicon of late 1920s and 1930s glamour. Breton, whose training on Savile Row underscores his meticulous tailoring, delivered a collection that felt less like a seasonal offering and more like a carefully constructed moment. And the audience of fashionistas were totally here for it.

A nocturnal palette anchored the collection: inkwell black, bone white, champagne gold, garnet, and smoke silver created a rich chiaroscuro against the ballroom’s gilded backdrop. The interplay of light and shadow reinforced the show’s cinematic magic, while beauty by Odilis and hair by Vivienne Mackinder leaned into polished, era-inspired glamour—sleek waves, luminous skin, and an unmistakable air of intrigue to look ahead to next season’s coveted fall and winter looks.

Select looks were styled with King Seiko VANAC timepieces. The watches functioned as quiet punctuation—precise, intentional, and emblematic of craftsmanship as storytelling. In Breton’s world, even the smallest detail was chosen to carry narrative weight.

The evening concluded with a special musical performance by Sorana, whose soaring vocals echoed the collection’s emotional arc. With over 5 billion streams worldwide, 5 million physical records sold, and more than 1 million social media followers, Sorana brought a contemporary resonance to the vintage-inflected mood, bridging eras through sound.

About Malan Breton

Malan Breton is a multi-hyphenate, award-winning creative from Taipei, Taiwan, recognized by British Vogue as “The Most Influential Designer You’ve Never Heard Of” and hailed byYahoo News as “The Internet’s Favorite Designer” with more than 100 international awards and honors, his career spans fashion, film, television, and music.

His work has been featured on over 200 magazine covers, including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and GQ, photographed and filmed by icons such as Rankin and Jonas Åkerlund, Ricardo Gomes, Nick Rhodes, Kelia Anne McCluskey, Greg Swales, and Joseph Kahn.

On screen, Breton starred in The Malan Show on Bravo, appeared on Project Runway and in Zoolander, and co-hosted for MTV fashion programs, as well as guest-hosted Top Model internationally. His designs have become storylines in over 40 prime-time TV shows and graced red carpets from the Academy Awards, Tony Awards, and Golden Globes to the BAFTAs, Golden Horse and Cannes. Malan also achieved a top ten chart placement on the French music charts.

As a filmmaker, Breton has directed award-winning fashion films including Je Suis Mona (2024) and Immortal, a BAFTA-qualifying short, with his first film, Malan Breton – A Journey to Taiwan, honored by the Taiwan Government. In 2025, he directed and choreographed the independent feature film 莉莉, blending martial arts, music, and fashion. Guided by his motto, “Wherever you go, shine…”, Breton continues to expand his creative universe across design, film, and performance.