Escaping The World In Style: Collina Strada FW26
Collina Strada’s latest Fall winter 2026 collection took New York Fashion Week by storm, with creative director Hillary Taylor leaning fully into the drama with a collection titled The World Is a Vampire, a moodier, darker reflection of escapism, protection, and the ambient fatigue lingering in everyday life. The idea behind the new collection is humans withdrawing into their sanctuaries like vampires, after navigating the weather both literally and metaphorically in life.
The 32 look collection combined fantasy with subtle notes of tension and mystery. There is an undertone of gothic humor running throughout. Centered around vampires who can’t enter a place without being invited, it works as a metaphor for boundaries in the collection. Organza collars rise protectively at the neck. Translucent fabrics blur the body’s edges. Wearers fade from the mirror, choosing when and where to be seen.
The opening look establishes the tone with an almost ghostly softness. The Lestat dress, made in a white deadstock lace, floats with a spectral presence, then followed by the Plume Gown in mauve chiffon, the kind of look that feels like breath you can see, a feeling of relief. The delicate design hints at the deeper emotional themes explored in the collection.
But Collina Strada signature pull combining practicality and delicacy, emerges. The Plume Tank, paired with the Joel Tee and Hazel Cargo Pant anchor the look while keeping the fantasy alive. Plaids, recycled suiting, and organic cotton pieces add contrast as a reminder even in a sanctuary the outside world exists.
That push and pull define the collection’s compelling moments. The Valerian Slip Dress in chocolate deadstock satin reads decadent and nostalgic, while BIO FlUFF accessories and faux fur re-introduce Taymour’s commitment to sustainability and material experimentation.
Throughout the collection, textures do much of the storytelling. Satin, chiffon, organza, velvet; each choice of fabric feels deliberate, building a tactile language of protection and vulnerability. The Lilith Dress in painted plaid chiffon carries a haunted delicacy, while gowns in butter plaid chiffon and recycled suiting bring a surreal lightness to traditionally structured forms.
What makes The World Is a Vampire resonate isn’t just the theatrical concept, but its emotional accuracy. Beneath the gothic references and dreamlike layering lies something far more familiar: fatigue, disillusionment, and the stubborn desire to preserve softness in an increasingly abrasive world.
Collina Strada’s evolving narrative feels inseparable from the brand’s history itself. Showing each season on the official New York Fashion Week schedule, Collina Strada has continuously reimagined the runway as something more than a presentation of clothes. Under Hillary Taymour’s direction, the shows have become a space for reflection, conversation, and at times, confrontation. Instead of separating fashion from the realities shaping the world, Collina Strada consistently leans into them, entwining social commentary into the visual language of the brand. Other seasons have explored themes ranging from environmental responsibility to identity, mental health, and systems of power, situating the runway as both a creative and cultural platform. This approach has become central to the brand’s identity. The collections under Taylor often respond to the emotional climate of the moment, capturing anxieties, contradictions, and shifting values. The World Is a Vampire continues this path, “We are in a crucial state of change right now,” Taymour has said, a sentiment that continues to echo through the brand’s evolving runway narratives.
Photos by: Filippo Fior & Andrea Adriani