Each one of Hillary Taymour‘s Collina Strada collections is cemented in a narrative-driven notion. While last season, Fall/Winter 2025, built an unf*ckwithable “Fempire,” Spring/Summer 2025 encouraged us all to “Touch Grass” at a time we needed it most. For Taymour’s Spring 2026 showcase, she’s honed in on an abstraction that feels more timely than ever before.
A collection entitled “Shade,” Taymour began teasing the concept on the show’s save the dates and formal invitations; each reminder was stamped with a photo of a shadow puppet, leaving attendees eagerly lined up on an East River helipad, wondering how the nostalgic motif would come into play in the presentation
Not only did we soon realize that, just ahead of the striking sunset on the water, we, in fact, resembled shadow puppets, but more importantly, the show’s composition mirrored that notion. Models strutted the runway in pairs, each one accompanied by their “shadow.” Every pastel-donning, classic-Collina-colorwayed-look came complemented by an all-black reimagining of that same silhouette.
Taymour wanted to tap into the duality of light and dark, she shared with us, noting she drew specific inspiration from sunsets when building the new range.
“This collection is really about the duality of light and dark, and how we can be our brightest selves and shine through even the darkest of times,” she told us post-show. A soundtrack of “Friendly Fascism” eminated through the speakers, while chiffon-wearing “light” looks were trailed by their counterpart of “darkness,” featuring lots of lace (often on the face), veils, and drapery.
Shared details included hair-crafted hats, the Converse x Collina Strada high-top sneakers, and a variety of deadstock fabrics.
“It’s about questioning what’s been told to us and choosing our own path and thinking what’s right in our own brains before people try and convince us otherwise,” continued Taymour, who also enlisted OnlyFans for a collaborative “Level Up” tee.
Guided by a quote from Carl Jung, the Spring 2026 Collina Strada collection not only wants to remind us that we all have shadows, but encourages us to “befriend and bedazzle” them.
After all, “our shadows [inevitably] walk among us.” Even on the East River Heliport.
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Take a closer look at the full Collina Strada Spring 2026 collection in the runway images above, and stay tuned to Hypebeast for continuing New York Fashion Week coverage.
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