This season’s runways spoke directly to Muslim girls, with garments that can easily glide from the runway to their Eid wardrobes. Designers brought high-necklines, fluid drapings and ankle-length skirts. While some may read these silhouettes as modern minimalism, for many Muslim women, these designs are their moments of recognition. Modesty, a daily practice for many, has rarely found its place on New York runways. However, a new norm emerged this season, one that is long overdue.  

Modesty is not a new Western phenomenon. Only recently did its counterpart become a social norm. Before the 1920s, skirts grazed the ankles, while sleeves extended to the wrists. The idea of ‘modern fashion, as we know it today, didn’t take hold until after World War I. The flapper era's rebellion against restraint created a Western-subconscious association between exposure and liberation. However, the fall shows emphasized that modesty is just as liberating, in its own way. 

Stella McCartney’s Spring 2026 show witnessed a tilt toward modest tailoring. Wide-leg trousers, high-neckline suits and ankle length silhouettes graced the runway. Among the collection, a pinstripe suit featured a structured blazer, belted at the waist with wide-leg pants that extended to the floor. As a whole, this collection focused primarily on sustainable innovation with their use of Pure Tech denim and plant-based leather. However, the collection's subtle nods to high-neck silhouettes and longer hemlines signal modesty's growing popularity on the runway.

This return to modest wear isn’t a sudden change in attitude and aesthetics. It’s been quietly reestablishing its presence on Western runways; think back to Prada’s SS25 high-neck knit tops and blazers paired with below-the-knee skirts.

Across the season, modesty echoed from the New York runways to London and Paris. The long fluidity challenges the notion that femininity and liberation are found solely in exposure and shorter hemlines. Modesty is finally invited into the conversation of womanhood, and designers are creating a new visual language for the modern woman, one rooted in choice. 

In the heart of the Garment District, the Haitian label, Scrocesa, presented their bridal  ready-to-wear collection. Designed by Charles Dieujuste, the pieces paid homage to Haiti and West African traditions with hand-beaded textiles and silhouettes. For many Muslim women, this collection carries a familiar rhythm and aesthetic. The floor-length hemlines, structured sleeves and high-necklines spoke to a deeper yearning in luxury fashion, transcending across cultures and faiths. Once again, hinting at the changing attitudes toward modesty. 

Amidst the collection, an abaya-inspired gown took center stage. The ivory silk draped from the shoulders, skimming the body and cascading into a soft train. Tassels traced the edges of the wide sleeves and hem. The subtle V-neckline brought a sense of regality, modesty and luxury coexisting in perfect harmony. Modesty at NYFW is a societal milestone on its own, but an abaya taking space is far greater. Modesty has lived in the margins of fashion, either misunderstood or over-romanticised. This Scorcesa piece is a recognition of culture, faith and identity once ignored in fashion. Now, it's fully seen. 

Fashion weeks have always signaled societal shifts, from the aesthetics we carry to the silhouettes we admire, even the stories we choose to tell. This season hinted at the reemergence… dare I say, the renormalization of modesty within luxury. Scorcesa emphasized the relevance of non-western ideals through introducing Haitian and West-African aesthetics and traditions into the global luxury stages.