Runway
Zang Toi at NYFW 2026
Written By Felix Shentaler
Revolutionary designer Zang Toi has once again astounded audiences with his New York Fashion Week Fall 2026 collection titled ‘Grand Galactic Galaxy’. This collection draws inspiration from the galaxy; the beauty of the Milky Way and the technology used to explore it were a major source of inspiration for Toi this season. With beautifully reflective silvers and chrome, sleek black leathers, pops of electric blue, and the return of his iconic cape with an intergalactic twist, there was so much to fall in love with this season.
Zang Toi has been creating beautifully handcrafted capes since 2009, when his first cape featuring the Manhattan skyline hit the runway for a private showing self-funded by Toi to raise money for the Livestrong Foundation (previously the Lance Armstrong Foundation). In three years, Toi raised over $750,000 USD for the foundation through private events and charity auctions.
His first city skyline cape certainly wouldn't be his last. In 2015, Toi’s Fall New York Fashion Week collection, the final look featured his iconic skyline cape, this time inspired by Venice, the entire collection revolving around the muted tones and elegant majesty of the city. The skyline of Venice was silhouetted and hand-embroidered onto a rich brown cape styled over a perfectly fitting black mini dress, maintaining the same chic elegance, but elevating it to a brand new level of drama and beauty.
Following the love for his handcrafted cape extravagance, Zang Toi brought back the original New York City skyline cape that he first made in 2009, this time paired with a sleek black mini dress, which was also embroidered with the city skyline. The collection itself was a tribute to the city, Toi’s “home away from home”. The collection was vivid and bold, a stunning representation of the concrete jungle and its inhabitants. It was perfectly fitting to bring back the cape for this collection, styled flawlessly, once again proving the versatility of his pieces and the timelessness of art.
Finally, back to his most recent collection, ‘Grand Galactic Galaxy’ has seen the return of another stunning cape. Jaws dropped as the 25th look hit the runway, and a sleek black jumpsuit was paired beautifully with a new iteration of Toi’s most iconic design, the city skyline cape. This year, the cape showcased a space-age skyline, a vision of the future with flying cars and floating bridges. Hand-embroidered and crafted in Manhattan, this incredibly crafted piece was the highlight of the show. The iconic design will forever be associated with Toi, and I can’t wait to see which city inspires him next.
