Courtesy of Seleen Saleh for ESSENCE
Post-Valentine’s Day energy carried through day five of New York Fashion Week with an exciting lineup of indie brands and designers including Cult Gaia, Kim Shui, Diotima and Sandy Liang. While these collections featured looks for fall/winter 2026, many fashion lovers can’t help but get their carts ready to shop these brands for the upcoming warmer months.
What was immediately clear on day five? February 14 for many fashion and beauty lovers was spent attending high-profile NYFW dinners, after-parties and celebrating with their loved ones. The aftermath of the previous day resulted in a very relaxed aesthetic that vibrated across the fashion week streets. Fresh faces were in demand throughout the day, either touched with just a bit of skin tint or honestly bare. Oversized sunglasses became the unofficial uniform, paired with whippy ponytails and sleek buns were the complementing factors.
However, leave it to celebrities like Monica to remind us always that showing up is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle. The musical icon was spotted hitting the fashion week streets stunning from head to toe, serving the masses vintage glamour. Monica gave us a ’60s mod glam look, with frosted lilac eyeshadow, wispy lashes and a peachy-ombre lip combo that gave us a living balance between 1966 and 2026. Tying the entire look together was her hair, styled in a vintage deep side swoop with a high hair look, falling with a soft curl at the end.
Can we say obsessed?
Catch more of the best beauty moments from day five of NYFW below.
