On the very edge of Manhattan, at a helipad where the East River meets the sky, Hillary Taymour staged the Collina Strada Spring 2026 show. The scene itself felt cinematic: the golden hour sun dipping low, the water shimmering, and a flawless blue sky framing a runway that blurred the line between reality and performance.
From the very first look it was clear that this would not be an ordinary presentation. Each model appeared not alone, but accompanied by a shadow. A voluminous pastel top with balloon denim cargo pants was mirrored by the same silhouette in all black. A plaid shirtdress with a balloon hem was followed closely by its dark twin, layered over a lace bodysuit. Look after look, the message became unmistakable: every step carried its reflection.
For Taymour, these shadows were more than a clever styling trick. They symbolized the histories, systems, and policies that trail behind us sometimes invisible, sometimes impossible to ignore. As she explained, it was about recognizing the weight of the past while choosing to move forward with light. But there was also a pragmatic side to the idea. Showing both the colorful and black versions of each look underscored that Collina Strada’s designs are strong enough to stand on their own, stripped of prints and hues, distilled down to pure form.
The collection itself was an exploration of exaggerated shapes and playful volume, what Taymour called “chaos” that nonetheless felt intentional. There was a touch of 1980s opulence undone and reimagined through the sensibility of the 2010s, a combination that felt exactly right for the present moment. Because every look had to be shown in pairs, she leaned into designing complete outfits, which gave the runway an unusual sense of cohesion. Even with the logistical complexity of casting pairs of models with the same build and height, the overall vision came across as fluid and whole.
Textile experimentation, another hallmark of Taymour’s work, reached new heights this season. Sustainability was, as always, at the heart of the process no scrap wasted, every fragment repurposed. The standout piece was a long blue plaid coat crafted through a painstaking process: three fabric layers stitched together, cut-outs carved into the top layer, and then the entire piece reassembled. Up close it vibrated with energy, recalling the immersive glow of a James Turrell installation. A delicate wedding dress appeared too, with its counterpoint in black described by the designer as “for the funeral.” Life and death, light and shadow, joy and grief woven together in fabric and form.
What made this show memorable was not only its visual impact but also its layered meaning. Taymour managed to merge artistry, symbolism, and wearability into a collection that was as thought-provoking as it was beautiful. The runway at the southern tip of Manhattan became a stage for dualities: color and absence, chaos and clarity, past and future. And as the sun set over the East River, Collina Strada’s models and their shadows walked together into the light.
Photos courtesy of Collina Strada
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