From the Peruvian Amazon to the Runways: Kené Kaya Fused Art, Fashion, and Culture at NYFW
Peruvian ethical fashion house Kené Kaya presented its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Amor Ancestral, at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in Manhattan during New York Fashion Week. More than a runway show, the presentation was a tribute to the identity of the Shipibo-Konibo people and the cultural richness of the Peruvian Amazon, merging ancestral knowledge with contemporary design.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Designer Alessandra Durand and model walk the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
The show opened with the short film “El Origen al Viaje del Kené” by Rodo Arrascue, followed by the ícaro “El canto de alegría” sung live by master artist and leader Olinda Silvano. Her voice enchanted the audience before the models took to the runway, transforming the event into a multi-sensory cultural experience that transcended fashion.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
The collection, named Amor Ancestral, paid homage to the intergenerational love and dedication embedded in Amazonian textile traditions. For centuries, women in the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of the Peruvian Amazon have passed down their knowledge of kené—sacred geometric designs that encode ancestral memory, spirituality, and cultural identity—from mother to daughter. Each pattern carries stories, wisdom, and energy from generations past. Through this collection, Kené Kaya honored this living heritage while presenting it in a contemporary fashion context, highlighting both the artistry and resilience of the women who sustain it.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: A model walks the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Designer Alessandra Durand and model walk the runway at the Kene Kaya show during New York Fashion Week at The Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Gunter/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion)
