New York Fashion Week is well underway, and the city feels even glossier than usual. While the runways are delivering a preview of next season’s inevitable It buys, it’s outside on the streets where the most immediate trends are taking shape. And after closely observing the style set between shows, one thing has become abundantly clear: New York’s chicest dressers are rethinking colour for spring 2026.

Rather than leaning into the soft, sorbet shades that typically dominate spring, fashion week attendees are embracing something far punchier. This season, it’s all about bold, high-impact colour blocking.

As showgoers gathered outside the autumn/winter 2026 runway at Tory Burch, the trend was out in full force. Tessa Thompson styled a sunshine-yellow jacket with a cool slate-grey skirt and finished with emerald-green heels. Elsewhere, guests doubled down on even brighter hues, offsetting electric tones with grounding neutrals for contrast.

What makes this iteration of colour blocking feel modern is its commitment to saturation. Think royal purple, chartreuse green and cobalt blue, woven together into directional, high-impact looks.

Exuberant and mood-lifting, this feels like a timely antidote to the minimalist aesthetic that has held fashion in its quiet luxury grip for seasons now. If New York is anything to go by, maximal colour is officially back on the agenda.