Alice + Olivia SS27 Welcomes Us to Wonderland
For Spring/Summer 2027, Stacey Bendet invited New York Fashion Week into a world where fantasy, nostalgia, and modern glamour collide. Alice + Olivia’s “Welcome to Wonderland” transformed 583 Park Avenue into an immersive fashion playground built around curiosity, imagination, and the freedom to see dressing through a different lens.
Presented on September 10, the collection brought together the beauty of decades past with an optimistic vision of the future. At its center was what the brand calls “preppy couture”a playful meeting of classic American sportswear and elaborate eveningwear techniques.
Tailored blazers, cropped jackets, boxer shorts, denim, and simple tees were elevated through intricate embroidery, beading, feathers, lace, satin jacquards, and shimmering embellishments. Exaggerated proportions and unexpected styling combinations gave familiar wardrobe staples a fantastical new personality.
Lace emerged as one of the season’s defining elements. It appeared layered with organza, covered in embellishment, and incorporated into silhouettes ranging from romantic gowns to relaxed separates. Florals became densely beaded surfaces, while metallic jacquards, iridescent sequins, satin, and hand-painted details brought texture and light to the collection.
The palette was equally dreamy. Soft pink, lavender, pale blue, butter yellow, and white were mixed with saturated hues, florals, stripes, and graphic patterns, creating a wardrobe that moved easily between delicate romance and Alice + Olivia’s signature maximalism.
The Wonderland concept extended beyond the clothing.
Guests traveled through a series of surreal environments, including a garden built around a dramatic 20-foot mirrored gown. “The Princess and the Peony” transformed the space into a life-sized dollhouse stacked with mattresses, while “Eat Me, Drink Me, Love Me” played with perspective as objects shifted between miniature and monumental proportions.
The runway lineup reflected those different worlds. From the black-and-white lace of The Dollhouse to the icy blues and elaborate florals of Princess and the Peony, each section developed its own personality while remaining connected through Bendet’s spirited approach to femininity.
Later looks leaned further into fantasy with embellished gowns, sculptural jackets, bubble skirts, feathered details, corsetry, sweeping trains, and sparkling micro silhouettes. The final Garden of Sheden section shifted toward playful sportswear, mixing stripes, tailoring, boxer shorts, graphic tees, and vivid color.
Spring 2027 also marked the return of Alice + Olivia footwear. Ballet flats, pumps, slingbacks, platforms, and wedges received the same whimsical treatment as the collection, incorporating crystals, florals, bows, and exaggerated proportions. One stiletto featured a sculpted rose appearing to bloom directly from its heel.
Bendet also introduced DIY Tees, distressed T-shirts and tanks designed to be cut, twisted, wrapped, and personalized by the wearer. Limited-edition DIY Couture pieces extended that idea through embellishment and in-store customization, placing individual expression directly into the hands of the customer.
Technology added another layer to the fantasy. Alice + Olivia partnered with Glance for an interactive AI-powered mirror that allowed guests to virtually try on four looks from the collection, further blurring the presentation’s boundaries between reality and imagination.
The star-studded crowd included Paris Hilton, Jessica Alba, Tiffany Haddish, Nikki Glaser, JoJo, Nicky Hilton, Kate Walsh, Olivia Attwood, Jenny Mollen, Madison LeCroy, Frankie Bridge, Grace Jackson, Kaylor Martin, and more, with Stacey Bendet welcoming guests into the elaborate presentation.
Beauty followed the same dreamlike direction. Luminous skin, shimmering eyes, goddess-like hair, and polished nails complemented the collection without competing with its abundance of texture and embellishment.
Ultimately, “Welcome to Wonderland” wasn’t about escaping reality as much as transforming it. Everyday pieces became couture statements, proportions shifted, flowers appeared larger than life, and technology allowed guests to temporarily step inside the clothes themselves.
Credit Photos: BFA / Neil Rasmus/Joe Schildhorn
wilemage photographers / Theo warge/Astrid Stawiarz