Collina Strada’s New York Fashion Week Show Explores Duality and Sustainability
– Collina Strada’s Spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection, presented during New York Fashion Week, grappled with themes of duality, crisis, and sustainability, offering a visually striking commentary on the current state of the world.
The show, held on an East Side helipad with a backdrop of Brooklyn, featured a haunting musical score and the repeated phrase “this is not a democracy” broadcast over loudspeakers, immediately signaling a departure from purely aesthetic concerns. Designer Hillary Taymour, according to show notes, aimed to address “an era of crisis” where “humanity’s darkest impulses no longer lurk in abstraction. they are taking concrete form.”
A central visual element of the runway was the presentation of each model alongside a “shadow” twin, dressed in the same garment but entirely in black, with a lace face covering. Taymour explained this pairing represented “the darkness that’s kind of lingering around right now” and a contemplation of “how to still be yourself and a brighter version of yourself” in the face of it.
The collection itself showcased Strada’s signature aesthetic, but with a noticeable shift towards darker tones. While previous collections were known for ruffles and bold prints, the Fall/Winter 2025 collection, dubbed “FEMPIRE,” incorporated these feminine details in deeper shades of brown, and black. The show, held in the Meatpacking District, featured a range of looks, including glistening slipdresses with lace patchwork, oversized cargo pants with peplums, and snug baby tees.
Sustainability remained a key focus for Collina Strada. The brand continued its commitment to upcycling, with the creative team scouring thrift stores in New Jersey and transforming heirloom wedding dresses into couture pieces. This approach, described as an “homage to the women who have come before and a call to imagine a more creatively sustainable future,” was highlighted as a particularly strong element of the show.
The Fall/Winter 2025 collection explored themes of femininity, matriarchy, and “queen-dom,” envisioning “a world where power moves sideways and care is currency.” The brand’s release stated a desire to not simply reverse outdated norms, but to “rewrite the script entirely—keeping what works, reconfiguring the rest.”
The show also featured a collaboration with PUMA and included differently-abled models on the runway. Celebrity guests in attendance included Law Roach, Japanese Breakfast, Ella Emhoff, and Dylan Sprouse.
Accessorizing many of the looks were Balenciaga-esque, bug-eyed sunglasses, adding a disruptive element to the overall presentation. The show’s soundtrack notably included a remix of Enya’s “Only Time” featuring the brand’s own slogan.
Taymour’s vision, as expressed through the collection, suggests a move towards a more grungy aesthetic while still maintaining the brand’s core identity. The collection’s strength, according to reviews, lies in its ability to blend playful design with a deeper message about navigating a complex and challenging world. The brand’s statement, “Femininity is not a set of instructions. It’s a mess of beautiful contradiction – fierce and soft, dark and illuminating, private and protective, unapologetically visible and glam,” encapsulates the spirit of the show.
