Gogo Graham Returns to NYFW with a Powerful All-Trans Casting Board and Politically Charged Collection
New York, NY – September 2025 — While the mainstream runways of New York Fashion Week often feature the glitz and polish of industry giants like Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch, there exists another vital thread within the fabric of fashion week: that of underground, boundary-pushing designers like Gogo Graham, who returned to the runway this season with a raw and resonant message.
Presenting her Spring 2026 collection titled "He Covets," Graham staged a deeply political and conceptual show that challenged outdated narratives about trans women and reimagined femininity through a defiant lens. But more than just a collection, it was a reclamation. Featuring an all-trans cast of models, many of whom are performance artists and visual creators in their own right, the show was both a celebration of community and a powerful commentary on media misrepresentation.
Gogo Graham: A Return with Purpose
After stepping away from the runway in recent years to focus on her fine art practice—including sculpture and painting—Graham made her fashion week comeback with urgency.
“I’ve been selling more clothes in stores again lately, so I figured it was time to go back,” she said. “But based on the way things are going in this country, I don’t know the next time it will be possible.”
Her remarks underscore the rising threats to trans rights in the United States, where legislative attacks have escalated in recent years. For Graham, showing this collection wasn't simply a career move—it was an act of resistance.
Reframing Trans Narratives in Fashion and Film
Graham’s collection was largely informed by her recent rewatching of films with subtextual or explicit portrayals of trans women—often problematic ones. Referencing titles like The Silence of the Lambs, Dressed to Kill, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Soapdish, and The Tenant, Graham pointed out how Hollywood has long depicted trans women either as a joke or as monsters.
“It’s either the twist at the end of a comedy that she is trans,” she explained, “or she is trans and she is a psycho killer.”
In shows like Silence of the Lambs, for example, Graham notes how even the fictional Dr. Hannibal Lecter clarifies that Buffalo Bill is “not a real trans woman,” a statement that attempts to distance the character from the trans community while still reinforcing damaging stereotypes.
“These are fictitious characters created by men who are inspired by men who are killers; they have nothing to do with us,” Graham said.
"He Covets": A Collection as Commentary
Titled "He Covets," the Spring 2026 collection sought to reclaim and reappropriate the aesthetics and tropes historically projected onto trans women. Graham described it as a presentation of individuals “trying to force themselves into a conventionally defined feminine”—not as a performance of femininity, but a defiance of imposed narratives.
This wasn't about fantasy or fiction—it was about real trans lives. Through silhouettes, fabric choices, and casting, Graham’s show dissected and subverted the visual languages that have long misrepresented or erased trans people in media and fashion.
All-Trans Casting: Visibility Through Authenticity
Integral to the show’s impact was the all-trans casting board, composed primarily of performance artists, visual creatives, and community figures who inspire Graham.
“I always cast girls that inspire me,” she said, “but this season most of them are in the performance space. I wanted people the audience could connect with.”
Rather than relying on professional models or celebrity faces, Graham selected individuals who live their truth both on and off the stage, lending the show an authenticity that many high-fashion runways lack.
A Show That Lives Beyond the Runway
Gogo Graham’s Spring 2026 show at NYFW was more than just a return to fashion. It was a protest, a portrait, and a platform—one that placed trans women not at the periphery, but at the very center of the cultural conversation.
In an industry often slow to embrace meaningful inclusivity, Graham’s work remains vital. He Covets didn't just challenge fashion norms—it directly confronted the ways trans people have been written out of or warped within history, media, and beauty standards.
In a season full of spectacle, Gogo Graham offered something deeper: truth, representation, and resistance stitched into every seam.
For more from New York Fashion Week Spring 2026 and designers pushing the industry forward, stay tuned.
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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| Photographed by Rafael Martínez |
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