Book lovers rejoice! While literature is an ever-present source of fashion inspiration, it felt like an especially esoteric season at New York Fashion Week.

Books encompassed every aspect of the spring 2026 season, from inspiration to the runway. Joseph Altuzarra continued his tradition of leaving books on guests’ seats—this season, the 1994 dystopian novel The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa—stuffed with the collection’s references. Meanwhile, Rachel Scott soft-launched her vision at Proenza Schouler with a reading list chock-full of feminist theory.

Others used books as props, illustrating their client’s full life and tastes. At Aubero , designer Julian Louie used books as mise-en-scène, including various field guides to butterflies, flowers, and ferns, as well as his late father, Davi

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