To showcase his fall 2026 offering, Romeo Hunte undertook one of his biggest production challenges yet: presenting a runway collection at Manhattan’s hallowed—and huge—Gotham Hall. The venue came together somewhat serendipitously, given that Tim Burton’s Batman had formed Hunte’s jumping-off point last year.
Hunte has come a long way since his mother “forced” him to be Batman four years in a row for Halloween as a kid. But he still loves the movie and how it represents his gritty but glamorous understanding of New York and how its inhabitants like to dress the part accordingly—because whether villainous or virtuous, they always have swagger. “I like to start with the American classics, both tailored and preppy—your trench coat, your biker jacket, your classic blazer—and then try to innovate and remix it,” Hunte said. Reenvisioning the film’s sharp late-’80s city slicker silhouettes for now resulted in pieces like a double-breasted denim blazer with power shoulders, high-gloss croc-embossed trenches in canary yellow and oxblood, and a substantial leather cape that would do Michael Keaton proud.
A Brooklynite born and bred, Hunte gets that in New York, the coat equals the outfit for half of the year, and it does seem to be where he excels. (Just ask Colman Domingo, who is a fan of his Fulton trench.) Like some of the schedule’s other young designers, Hunte isn’t shying away from real fur, and when an almost-floor-length old-money-style black coat walked the elevated platform runway, there was audible fanfare around it.
Other ways Hunte played and experimented with outerwear this season included rendering puffer vests in denim, adding a dramatic train, flipping jean jackets upside down, and more of his built-in change purse detailing—something that his fans now know to look out for. “It’s practical yet very intricate,” he said of the signature. “I like that it’s easy for people to understand, but it pushes the design forward in a way.”
In general, hot takes on denim were a highlight of the collection—particularly in the womenswear, modeled by an array of body types. Having earned his stripes as a personal shopper and stylist at Barneys New York before launching his label, the FIT grad opts to still style his shows himself. “I design with a styling mindset,” Hunte said. “When I come up with ideas, I’m already thinking: What’s the pant? What are the other elements? And I’m making sure each piece is flexible and has multiple ways it can be worn.” This time around, that direction and line of questioning felt more assured and confident than in the past.
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