You can bet on Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour to bring a sense of joy and wit to her work, inviting guests to an East Side helipad to show her collection outdoors with Brooklyn as a backdrop. As a haunting music choir music began and “this is not a democracy” was heard over the loudspeaker, it was clear she has much to say.
“Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we are living in an era of crisis. Humanity’s darkest impulses no longer lurk in abstraction; they are taking concrete form. Our shadows walk among us,” her show notes read of her runway of dualities with each model coming with a “shadow“ twin in the same garment in all black with a lace face covering, walking alongside them.
“It’s the darkness that’s kind of lingering around right now that push and pull and how to react to that and like, how to still be yourself and brighter version of yourself,” she said at a preview of the collection of glistening slipdresses with lace patchwork, super sized cargo pants with peplums and snug baby Ts.
“It’s like in true Collina form, having a positive message, but also talking about the real, hard truths,” she explained of the haunting lineup that packed a punch.
There were more nuanced takes, a double bridal look made of deadstock pieces, scraps of lace and chiffon and all these things Strada and the design team had around. Each model wore real hair headpieces that intrigued the eye and pushed the theme forward.
The designer recently opened her first store and it’s giving her real data about the brand with customers making larger purchases. “People come in and say ‘Oh, I’ve wanted to try on this dress. Haven’t seen it in person.’ They spend $3,000 on a dress. My customers, they’re a little bit more conscious. It’s an investment.” And the brand is growing, adding denim this season.
She accessorized the pieces with a collaboration with crystal jewelry belts and earrings from Awe Inspired and Converse, another collaboration, used recycled materials inside and with the soles, and comes with removable charms.
“People think of us like we’re having a crazy time and we don’t care or play by the rules,” she said. “But now I want to bring a little sense of how we’ve grown up and we’re a serious fashion business. You can have theatrics and bring drama in a fashion way and still be serious about business.”
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