From Palm Springs to the shores of Orange County, a new generation of California designers is rewriting the luxury conversation.
There is a runway in Southern California that does not follow the rules of fashion week. It writes its own.
OC Fashion Week® — established 2005, recognised as California Fashion Week℠ since 2013 — returned in March 2026 with a season that reminded the world why California has always been fashion’s most compelling untold story. Not a trend. A lifestyle. Not a moment. A movement.
“If fashion is a language, style is what we speak,” says Kathryn Marino, Founder, OC Fashion Week®. “Those new to it, or just discovering their own sense of confidence and style, are speaking loudly from the front row.”
The Evening That Defined The Season — Ever Club, Tustin, 28th March
The season’s most electric evening belonged to three designers who arrived with something to say.
Diego Fashions opened with quiet authority and left with the room’s full attention — a masterful revival of resort wear, each gown carrying the warmth of the Pacific in its colours, its drape, its ease. California coastal living translated into couture.
Stefan Miguel, arriving from Palm Springs, brought the desert’s golden light to the runway — warm, architectural, and entirely his own. A designer whose aesthetic feels inevitable the moment you see it.
Kailani Fountaine — local OC talent — announced herself with the confidence of someone who has always known exactly what she wants to say. Orange County’s own, and unmistakably its future.
Perhaps the most telling moment of the evening came after the runway cleared — models purchasing pieces directly off the catwalk. No stylist. No prompt. Pure desire. It is the kind of validation that no fashion critic can manufacture and no press release can fabricate. When the people wearing the clothes want to keep them, the designer has done something rare. OC Fashion Week® 2026 did that more than once.
The Venue — My Sister’s Closet and Well Suited, Newport Beach
My Sister’s Closet and Well Suited is more than a boutique — it is a thriving community of consignors, where luxury finds new life and style is shared, not hoarded. A natural home for a runway that has always believed fashion belongs to everyone.
Behind every extraordinary runway evening is extraordinary leadership. Heather Zorge, CEO of My Sister’s Closet and Well Suited, created a space where luxury felt genuinely welcoming — a boutique transformed into a fully produced showspace that proved community and couture are never mutually exclusive.
Heather Zorge, CEO: “We’ve always believed fashion should feel inspiring, inclusive, and connected to the community. Hosting OC Fashion Week in our Newport Beach store allows us to celebrate personal style in a truly meaningful way.”
What Comes Next — Swim Week
The California coast does not pause. OC Fashion Week® Swim Week show dates are May 20th–22nd.
Model casting is May 2nd, 8AM–10AM — location TBA. Models may register online for location details at ocfashionweek.com/pages/model.
Designers ready to present on one of America’s most prestigious luxury platforms may register at ocfashionweek.com/pages/designer.
Lena Milinovic, CEO and Owner, Lena Laced Closet: “It’s been an incredible honor to be a sponsor of OC Fashion Week since 2020 and to serve on the Fashion Council Advisory Board. Being part of this community has allowed me to support emerging designers and contribute to the continued growth and evolution of fashion in Orange County.”
The story of how a luxury fashion capital is built — from the inside — is told in Behind the Seams, airing end of April on LATV.
OC Fashion Week® — California Fashion Week℠ — The Luxury Market of California®. Established 2005. Official global media partner: FashionUnited.
Contact:
Name: Chloe York
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 949-235-5084
Website: ocfashionweek.com
Hair, Makeup & Styling: Aly Rose Beauty and Saba Beauty School and Academy. Photography: Steve Manivong.
