Donna Karan unveils Fall 2026 campaign

Donna Karan New York unveiled its Fall 2026 campaign on Wednesday, naming Kendall Jenner as the face of the new advertising push and releasing the images across its channels worldwide. The campaign was photographed by Mert Alas and shot across New York City, according to company materials carried by GlobeNewswire syndication. The brand said the imagery centers on its long-running idea of “the woman and the city,” linking the collection to New York locations rather than a studio set. The release came eight days before the official start of New York Fashion Week on September 10. ### Why is Kendall Jenner at the center of this campaign? Kendall Jenner is the lead talent in the Fall 2026 campaign, Donna Karan New York said in its September 2 announcement. The company described her as the campaign’s face worldwide and paired her with imagery meant to project what it called an “effortless” and “timeless” New York identity. (markets.businessinsider.com) Mert Alas photographed the campaign, and fashion trade coverage said Jessica Diehl styled the shoot. Several reports also said the imagery draws on a late-1980s Donna Karan campaign photographed by Dennis Piel and featuring Rosemary McGrotha, placing Jenner inside a visual reference the brand has used before. (markets.businessinsider.com) ### What did Donna Karan say about the New York setting? Donna Karan New York said the Fall 2026 campaign unfolds across “iconic” New York City locations, with the city’s light, texture and energy treated as part of the collection’s presentation. The company said this is the first time since the brand’s relaunch that its campaign has been staged across recognizable city locations rather than contained to a more controlled setting. (theimpression.com) The Impression, a fashion industry publication, reported that the city’s architecture and atmosphere were placed at the center of the visual narrative. MSN and other pickup coverage likewise described the campaign as reviving Donna Karan’s New York image through location shooting and archival references. ### How is the brand distributing the campaign? (markets.businessinsider.com) September 2 is the launch date across Donna Karan New York social channels, according to the company announcement. The brand said the rollout also includes digital media, print placements and outdoor advertising, indicating a broader paid campaign beyond the initial social release. (theimpression.com) Financial-content syndication of the release said the campaign was introduced globally on Wednesday. Company language described the distribution as a “360-degree approach,” spanning multiple formats and placements. ### How close is this to New York Fashion Week? (financialcontent.com) The Council of Fashion Designers of America said its preliminary official New York Fashion Week schedule for the Spring-Summer 2027 season begins on Thursday, September 10, and ends on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The CFDA said the calendar currently includes 70 runway shows and presentations. (financialcontent.com) Henry Zankov’s debut collection as artistic director for Diane von Furstenberg is scheduled to open the week, and Thom Browne is set to close it, according to the CFDA. That places Donna Karan’s campaign launch in the final days before the New York shows begin. ### What comes next? September 10 is the next key date in the fashion calendar, when the CFDA’s official New York Fashion Week schedule opens in New York. (cfda.com) Donna Karan’s Fall 2026 campaign is already live across the brand’s channels, while the wider industry moves into six days of Spring-Summer 2027 shows ending on September 15.