What Makes COS Different?
After another well-received NYFW show, Karin Gustafsson, design director at COS, shares her thoughts on autumn dressing, trend-chasing and timelessness in 2025.
Fashion Month, though brimming with glossy inspiration, often feels just out of reach. As curated collections debut on splashy runways, they’re designed to feel far away: pieces that won’t be on shelves for months, and price points that won’t be attainable. This is why COS has become renowned for doing things differently.
Amid the Spring 2026 New York Fashion Week season, the Nordic brand eschewed the calendar standard and instead showed for Fall 2025. It’s called a see-now-buy-now approach—allowing customers to purchase certain runway pieces immediately, with steady rollouts continuing. In recent seasons, it has made COS something of a black sheep gem in the CFDA circuit.
Its price point (ranging from $135 for pleated trousers to $1,090 for a shearling leather jacket) is more affordable than its calendar counterparts. But its aesthetic of elevated minimalism with clever touches—think: funnel-neck capes and barrel-leg wools—captures the luxurious ease of a well-seasoned city dresser.
The strategy works: This year, COS was the only high-street label—a mass-producing retailer with a broad consumer base—to be featured on Lyst’s hottest 10 brand ranking, and in the past three years, search demand has risen steadily. Along with the immediate accessibility, it also just feels like the wearer’s needs are considered. When conceptualizing this collection, that’s what Karin Gustafsson, design director at COS, wanted to do.
photography courtesy of cos
“For me, the true foundation of an autumn and winter wardrobe begins with effortless knitwear,” she tells me the day after the show. “And this season, we’ve introduced warmth and tactility through soft cashmere pieces, basketweave surfaces, and ribbed details.”
Held in an airy Brooklyn warehouse, far from the packed sidewalks of Manhattan, the September 14 runway had a calm afternoon atmosphere. (Though it still pulled A-list attendees like Jodie Turner-Smith, Lauryn Hill and Chris Briney.) The clothes, too, struck a balance of industrial and elegant, with a charcoal colour palette and flowing cocoon-like layers. Revealing sheers were paired with rich leathers, while high-sheen fabrics were styled alongside mattes. The brand’s on-the-go effortlessness came through in gauzy scarf accessories, suede sneakers and low-slung, loosely fastened ponytails.
photo by Isidore Montag, courtesy of cos
There was a focus on checks—a more striking print than COS’s usual streamlined hues, presented in full looks with coordinating bags. And though plaids are indeed trending, no design is done in an effort to fit into fads, Gustafsson says. “It’s important that we root these trends in our identity—reinterpreting them in ways that feel relevant to us and who we are, so that they can live beyond the season,” she says, adding that the checks are heritage-inspired.
photography courtesy of cos
She takes a similar stance on the ongoing “quiet luxury” craze. COS has been embraced as a go-to for achieving the trend on a budget, but Gustafsson does not seem to be concerned with tapping into aesthetic categories. Instead, she’s focused on understanding overarching attitudes. “There’s been a clear shift in appreciation for design which feels considered, refined, and crafted to endure the test of time,” she reflects. “For me, less has always been more—it’s about the quiet power of subtle details, beautiful materials, and silhouettes that inspire confidence without demanding attention.”
Gustafsson adds that, overall, COS Fall 2025 pieces are meant to be mixed and matched in different ways; dressed up or down depending on the occasion. “Timelessness means going beyond seasonal trends to craft garments that carry meaning for the wearer,” Gustafsson says. When you think of it that way, perhaps the calendar doesn’t matter at all.
Natalie Michie is the Fashion & Features Editor at FASHION Magazine. With a pop culture obsession, she is passionate about exploring the relationship between fashion, internet trends and social issues. She has written for Elle Canada, CBC, Chatelaine and Toronto Life. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and over-analyzing movies on TikTok.
Fashion FWD:
The next best thing to being a fashion editor - BTS access to trends, products & news.