DKNY Spring 2026 Ad Campaign

Review of DKNY Spring 2026 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Trey Laird with Photographer Mikael Jansson with model Hailey Bieber

DKNY’s Spring 2026 campaign marks the confident return of an icon, with Hailey Bieber once again stepping into the role of global face—though “face” hardly feels sufficient. This is less about endorsement and more about embodiment. Under the creative direction of Trey Laird and photographed by Mikael Jansson, the campaign stages a knowing dialogue between past and present, positioning Hailey as both muse and mirror. The hook is clear from the first frame: fame, here, is treated not as spectacle but as medium—art hung on its own walls.

Set within an imagined downtown New York artist’s loft, the campaign borrows its attitude from the disruptive art scene of the 1960s, then filters it through DKNY’s distinctly modern lens. The black-and-white imagery leans into self-referentiality, with Hailey surrounded by photographs of herself, a clever mise-en-abîme that flirts with narcissism but lands firmly on commentary. The setting feels intentionally stripped back, allowing the clothes—and the idea of reinvention—to take center stage. This is New York as a concept rather than a postcard: intellectual, a little gritty, and always self-aware.

Stylistically, the collection hits DKNY’s sweet spot between ease and edge. Trench coats worn open over denim shirts, tailored trousers paired unapologetically with bras, and relaxed blazers channel a studied nonchalance that feels lived-in rather than styled. The reappearance of the infamous “Naked Dress,” now rendered in black with clear straps, is a smart archival nod—recognizable without feeling stuck in nostalgia. Accessories do the quiet heavy lifting: sharp eyewear, a signature bag, and the ever-symbolic New York Yankees™ cap grounding the looks in a cultural shorthand that reads instantly, globally.

What the campaign does particularly well is lean into Hailey Bieber’s cultural fluency. As Jeff Goldfarb notes, her personal style aligns “authentically with the brand,” and that authenticity is the campaign’s real currency. She doesn’t disappear into the clothes, nor do the clothes play second fiddle to celebrity. Instead, there’s a productive tension between star power and styling—one that feels very DKNY. If there’s room to grow, it might be in pushing the narrative further beyond the loft, allowing the concept of “fame as art” to unfold across multiple New York archetypes. The idea is strong enough to travel.

Ultimately, DKNY Spring 2026 succeeds by understanding that reinvention doesn’t require erasure—it requires conversation. This campaign speaks fluently across decades, referencing ’60s art scenes, ’90s attitudes, and today’s digital omnipresence without sounding like it’s trying too hard. Hailey Bieber stands at the center not as a symbol of perfection, but as proof that style, like the city itself, is at its most powerful when it’s a little self-reflective. In New York, after all, even icons redecorate.