12 February 2026 |
The designer urges us to keep our humanity in this time of chaos
Titled the World is a Vampire, Collina Strada’s fall 2026 collection warns us to be careful with who and what we invite into our inner sanctums — they might be draining us. Continuing its mission as “a platform for climate awareness, social awareness, change and self expression,” the brand offered lightly veiled jabs towards the climate and social disaster whirling around us in the show notes, then presented a collection of 32 looks that offered a brief reprieve to reflect on materials, intimacy, and agency.
Founder Hillary Taymour asks how do you stay open when under attack? The answer: well, you switch up what you reveal. Opening with the Lestat dress (referencing the famously sexy vampire) Taymour reveals a series of winkingly defensive clothes. Here the neck is guarded by a Victorian collar, but the torso down to the hips is open and inviting. The longsleeved distressed Amaryllis tee, named after the resilient winter flower, is cut open down the sleeves, and the Lilith dress in a chocolate painted chiffon has an open back with a train descending from its shoulders. Two inseparable shoulderpoofs inflated into an airbag-like armor make the amazing Claudia top in black deadstock satin a showstopper, but look down and you’ll see the Lestat dress’ dramatic side opening again. The show notes may beg us to stay guarded inside, but it can be so fun to be devoured.
Here the brand argues that it is offering itself as a sanctuary to the outside world. For Taymour, Collina Strada is a place where shoppers can both guard themselves with deadstock and chiffon or expose themselves through cutouts and revealing draping. Deadstock suiting is reanimated into a cool coat, whose paneling pulls the wearer’s posture to attention, and is later pleated and twisted into rosebuds growing out of the hips of pants. The same materials get elevated, transformed into the Vivienne Westwood-esque “Amazing Gown.” To participate in the fur trend without sacrificing one’s morals, the brand debuted Bio Fluff, an 100% plant based alternative to fur, seen as a Valerian shawl and muff named after a natural medicinal sedative. Also seen, a collaboration with the South Korean bag and footwear brand STAND OIL, with remixed Mushy and Ringo bags clutched in hand, as well as glitzy phone rings. The latter was presented on silver platters upon arrival to happy guest
Every season the Collina Strada vision evolves into something more ambitious and encompassing than the previous season. While idling in the loading dock, waiting for the freight elevator into the show, no one seemed bothered. And once the doors lifted into the space with its ambient sound bath that later turned into the pattering of rain and birdsongs, you could see people smiling as they milled about. It was only when the music morphed into a punishing drum set where people had no choice but to lock in and find salve in the clothes in front of them. The lyrics said to “pick up the pieces, [and] put it all together when the world comes apart at its seams.” The world may suck, but this fashion coven sure doesn’t.
