Donna Karan New York has unveiled its Fall 2026 campaign starring Kendall Jenner, photographed by Mert Alas and shot across New York City locations, the brand announced on September 2. It marks the first time since the label's 2024 relaunch that a campaign has been filmed on location throughout the city rather than in a studio setting, tying the collection directly to the New York identity that has defined Donna Karan since its founding.
The campaign centers on reimagined versions of pieces pulled from the Donna Karan archives. Jenner appears in the label's iconic bodysuit, updated for fall with an extra-wide belt, alongside a draped wool jersey jacket and skirt layered beneath a leather coat. Other looks include a richly tailored velvet suit rendered in a seasonal black cherry shade, a stylized aviator jacket and skirt in espresso brown, and a full-length sequin dress. The outfits are completed with a cashmere tote in chocolate suede and a black cherry Leno bag, along with sculptural gold jewelry and eyewear.
Kendall Jenner for Donna Karan's Fall 2026 campaign. Photographed by Mert Alas.
— Kendall's Gallery (@kendallsjbrs) September 2, 2026
📸 More pics: https://t.co/SO8bUNRBjb pic.twitter.com/xzXnwwYeNU
Creative direction on the campaign comes from Trey Laird, with styling by Jessica Diehl, hair by Chris McMillan and makeup by Mary Phillips. The visual concept draws on a late-1980s Donna Karan campaign photographed by Dennis Piel, which featured model Rosemary McGrotha reflecting on the city from inside a limousine. That earlier film inspired the Fall 2026 narrative, in which Jenner imagines having New York entirely to herself, set to INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart." Laird described Mert Alas as capturing "cinematic storytelling infused with powerful fashion imagery," calling the resulting images both immediately recognizable and enduring.
The casting reflects Donna Karan's continued effort to position its relaunch within a lineage of women closely associated with New York style and visibility. Karan founded the label in 1984 with Seven Easy Pieces, a system built around dressing with minimal effort that reshaped how working women approached getting dressed. The brand, now owned by G-III Apparel Group, relaunched in 2024 under the "In Women We Trust" platform, a name drawn from Karan's own 1992 campaign, and has continued to build its comeback around recognizable women fronting each seasonal story. Jenner, whose profile spans runway, campaign and red carpet work, extends that approach into a new generation of the brand's audience.
In a statement accompanying the launch, Jenner said being part of the Fall 2026 campaign felt like celebrating the energy of New York alongside a woman who knows her style and embraces who she is. The campaign rolls out today across Donna Karan New York's social channels, supported by digital, print and outdoor placements, with the Fall 2026 collection available now on DonnaKaran.com and at select retailers.
For a brand rebuilding its identity after years out of the spotlight, the pairing of an established fashion capital, a recognizable face and archival wardrobe pieces gives the relaunch a clear throughline: reintroducing Donna Karan's original codes to shoppers who may know the brand by name but not by its history.
