Bode SS26 Is a Poetic Tribute to a Musical Legacy

Summary

Bode’s Spring 2026 collection, titled “The Expressionist,” is a tribute to the American composer Morris “Moose” Charlap (known for Peter Pan), conceived as a “visual songbook of a life in music”
The collection was unveiled at a Paris theater where the entire line was showcased on miniature puppets
Designer Emily Adams Bode Aujla shared personal anecdotes about her inspiration, tying the collection deeply to Charlap’s legacy and family memories

Bode has revealed its Spring 2026 collection during Paris Fashion Week in an intimate gathering at the theatre. This collection was created as a tribute to the great American composer Morris “Moose” Charlap.

As guests entered the theatre, they were struck with a unique show format that saw the entirety of the upcoming collection shown on miniature puppets. The dolls, wearing Bode’s newest collection, were seen in two lines as audiences are able to get up close and personal to view the details of the collection. “Moose” Charlap was best known for his score to Broadway’s Peter Pan and while he died at a young age of 45, his legacy lives on in his scores and his family, including his son Bill Charlap, who is a two-time Grammy nominated musician and one of the most premier jazz pianists of his generations. Emily Adams Bode Aujla brought guests together to share some of Moose’s most iconic works. Taking a moment to address the group, Bode Aujla spoke to the crowd ahead of a performance by Bill Charlap in honor of his father. The designer recalled the moment she was mesmerized by Moose’s Peter Pan score and moment when Bill and her sat in her Conneticut home recounting memories of “Moose.”

The theater had four mini modules that depicted the four most important stages of Moose’s life. One was set in Central Park, a place he spent a lot of his time before and after Broadway shows with his wife and another at his boyhood camp, where he received the nickname “Moose.” Unlike a typical Paris Fashion Week show, Emily Adams Bode Aujla present the collection by sharing her inspiration. Billy performed three songs in honor of his father, explaining to the crowd the meaning behind “Some Summer Day” from Alice Through the Looking Glass, “I Won’t Grow Up” from Peter Pan and “Please Let Me Die in Paris” from The Expressionist. The collection has been titled “The Expressionist” after Moose’s last, unfinished musical written with lyricist Eddie Lawrence, the designer describes the collection as a visual songbook of a life in music. Bode brings to life Moose Charlap’s vibrant world informed by music, giving it a visual representation in the form of fashion.