Spring Summer 2027

Wisdom, resilience & transformation.

Pearls form when an oyster covers a painful irritant in layers of nacre; they represent overcoming adversity.

Emotional healing and feminine intuition.

Metaphysically, jute represents grounding, connection to mother nature, and sustainable intention.

Wampum beads are crafted from white whelk and purple quahog shells by Northeastern Native Americans.

Its significance centers on ancestral memory, sacred connection, truth, and a deep relationship with the natural world.

Model Nikki Apostolou suggested wampum as a symbol of her heritage as a First Nations Mohawk woman.

Opal is believed to cleanse and energize all of the chakras to balance your aura. Crystal healers use it to connect your mind to your heart, allowing you to express your emotions in a clear and confident way, releasing your inhibitions and self-doubt.

A 400-year-old form of traditional hand embroidery originating in Lucknow, India.

This look is a collaboration with Isha Kesarwani, who created this top as a modern interpretation of a dupatta, a long scarf traditionally worn tied or draped by South Asian women and handed down through generations.

This collaboration highlights the incredible skill & rich history of Indian hand embellishment through a modern lens. The top uses 5 chikankari stitches, hand-carved block printing, 80 hours of beadwork and jali, the Lucknowi lattice technique of pulling threads apart without cutting them.

The design was then enlarged and reimagined for application on Cafaro’s signature trouser jeans.

Ancient Romans and cultures in the Middle East prized coral amulets as protective shields against danger and evil.

Many people view goldstone as a symbol of ambition, motivation, protection and the power of positive self-belief.

Ancient Egyptian and Persian cultures used turquoise in amulets to ward off negative energy and bring good fortune.

In many cultures, obsidian represents survival, spiritual protection, and connection to the earth.

A gerdan is a traditional Ukrainian handmade beaded necklace or collar. Originating in the Carpathian regions and popular since the 19th century, they are far more than decorative accessories; they serve as sacred protective talismans and bold expressions of cultural identity.

This look is a deconstructed and modernized version of a vintage vyshyvanka. The word comes from the Ukrainian verb vyshyvaty (вишивати), which translates to “to embroider”.

These embroidered items are seen by some as a cultural document and a national symbol of identity, resilience, and pride.

Model Khrystana is a proud Ukrainian who grew closer with Cafaro during their collaborative efforts for humanitarian aid to Ukraine at the start of the war. Renee Cafaro is honoring her own heritage as a Ukrainian-Italian-American.

Silk symbolizes transformation, purity, and a bridge to the divine, representing the journey from a confined physical state to an enlightened spiritual form. Because it comes from a cocoon, it mirrors the soul’s rebirth and inner metamorphosis.

This piece itself underwent a rebirth, as it was made by upcycling a vintage silk robe Renee had loved for 20 years with new silk prints that she accidentally found that matched perfectly, which gave her the inspiration.

Most recognize the phoenix as a symbol of rising from the ashes and rebirth through the flames. Fordite has a similar history, as it is something that emerges from unglamorous origins. Much like modern goldstone, it is not a natural element but rather the byproduct of creative recycling of industrial waste.

Hidden in the layers of decades of car paint overspray chipped off the floors of factories was a delicate, agate-like item when polished.

The most well-known symbol of transformation and the perfect symbol for the overall theme that came to light over the course of designing this collection.

Love and luck.

Rose quartz is considered powerful because it is deeply tied to the heart chakra as the ultimate stone of unconditional love, emotional healing, and self-compassion. It is tied to the planet Venus and the goddess Aphrodite, making it a symbolic stone for Taurus and Libra.

Jade symbolizes harmony, longevity, and good fortune. In Feng Shui, jade connects to growth and wealth, serving as a magnet for good fortune.

Not just a great U2 album!

Joshua Trees are seen as a powerful spiritual symbol of endurance, purpose, and divine guidance. Much like humans are being asked to do, it uniquely adapts to thrive in the harshest of environments.

Cafaro designed using photographs of the Coachella Valley. Silhouettes of wind turbines against the dark mountains at sunset always caught her eye.

This print serves as an homage to her beloved desert landscapes, the power of nature and renewable energy.

September’s birthstone and known as the stone of wisdom, truth, and spiritual clarity.

It is believed to calm the mind, release mental tension, and activate higher states of awareness.

Sea glass is regarded as a symbol of renewal and healing and a metaphor for life. It is simply glass that had been discarded into the waterways before the advent of recycling and landfills.

In a span of 20 to 50 years or more, this former trash becomes eroded and refined into a treasure.

It is now seen as a lucky charm if found on the beach, an activity that model Jill Ammiano once loved doing with her grandparents.

This fact was not known by Cafaro when she designed the sea glass look, and she thought it was a sign when she was told of this precious personal significance upon approaching Jill to model it.

(Not just a great Led Zeppelin song!)

Waves represent the rhythm and changes of life, the release of heavy feelings, and spiritual awakenings.

Water is the most essential element on earth, with the power to birth, sustain and end life. It is as much a symbol of serenity and beauty as it is an undeniable force.

This look was inspired in part by Hokusai’s famed Great Wave painting.

Sterling silver Ocean Waves jewelry provided by HASHIMOTO NECO, a Japanese brand suggested by model Ai Momoka.

A textile made from the inside bark of mulberry trees, rooted in the traditions of Polynesia and the broader Pacific Islands, including Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, and Hawaii.

Each design on a tapa cloth has a meaning, so together it can tell a story. Many of the symbols in the tapa cloth used here, given to us by Tongan model Velonika Pome’e, are translated in these images.

Cafaro first approached Pome’e to collaborate on a look that would celebrate her heritage, first coming to her with the idea of translating the art of Tongan tattoos into fashion through the use of embroidery. Tattoo artist T’uu Afu, aka Tongan Sniper, was commissioned to create the art now embroidered onto the flying skirt in the color of the ocean. Pome’e then came to Renee with an idea: a tribute to her friend, the late Afa Ah Loo, the first Samoan designer on Project Runway, who was tragically killed at a No Kings Rally in 2025.

This look is much bigger than any one of us in the collaboration. Cafaro knew that to honor his memory it must be done with the utmost care and with the full support of his surviving family and business partner, Benjamin Powell of Creative Pacific Foundation. It means the world to us to bring this show to a close with a powerful tribute made of tapa so that Afa’s dream of bringing Pacific Islander culture and fashion to NYFW can be realized. May his spirit be with us today and always.

“Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.” — Afa Ah Loo