The Tamesis
Ashlyn’s studio is quiet and calm. There is no music playing; small talk is minimal. Outside, even with temperatures below freezing, the streets of New York’s Garment District are bustling with activity. But inside, designer Ashlynn Park’s team shuttled between two rooms in her studio, just three days after the show. In one room, they are adjusting garments and evaluating looks on mannequins; in another, they are taking inventory of the collection and doing final fittings. Hair and makeup experts will arrive later tonight to conduct testing. In the hallway between the two studio spaces, some team members were thinking about seating arrangements for the show.
Park greeted us, then rushed out to change her gray hoodie into an Ashlyn look: a black ruffled jacket (ruffles are Ashlyn’s signature); a crisp cream button-down top (also a bit of ruffled ruffle); and draped black pants. “I have to wear this brand,” she told me, knowing she was about to be photographed. Park then continued working with the team to tailor the garments to fit the models while wearing her own designs. After all, these clothes are designed for work and life. Ashlyn’s pieces integrate so perfectly and successfully into women’s lives, which explains why Park is getting more attention this season than ever.
The pressure is on. This designer just won the CFDA Google American Emerging Designer Award and CFDA/Fashion Last November, Fashion Fund (CVFF) followed suit. “I often say this [industry] It’s like a game; “My studio is my playground,” Park said. “But after I won the CFDA award, this attention gave me a certain amount of pressure: I asked myself what I could do better and what I could do for the industry.”
This pressure to “do better” affects the Fall/Winter 2026 collection. “Last season, I wasn’t able to show enough freshness because I needed to pass the CFDA/Fashion Fashion Fund – It’s a long process. It was like seven months, one challenge after another. ” she said. This meant that designers were pressed for time when designing the SS26 collection. “So I really forced myself to show new pieces this fall and winter. “
If the Spring/Summer 2026 collection is about Park’s memories hidden in round, loose clothing, then the Fall/Winter 26 collection is about how she delivers these memories. “We talked about how I could pour these memories and experiences into this collection,” she said. This season is a study in control and release; freedom and restraint. The garment feels lighter; the waist is still tighter, but more free. The second dress uses “recycled” fabric from other garments in the collection, fitting neatly on one side and trailing along the body on the other. Funnel collar jacket in leather and bouclé styled with layered separates.
