Designer Stacey Bendet approached the Fall 2026 collection as a marriage of traditional femininity and contemporary progress and evolution. The 46-look lineup embraces contrast: Old-world craft, defined by intricate gold and pearl embroideries, indulgent fabrics, corsetry, sweeping ball skirts and Victorian silk slip dresses, is countered by the hallmarks of the modern, independent woman’s wardrobe: denim, tailored trousers, puffer jackets and faux fur robe coats.
Everything is an assertion of feminine power. Nothing is basic. An undercurrent of glam-rock courses through the collection with a palette of black, ivory, silver, gold and burgundy. A black corset with gold baroque embroidery is worn with black trousers strung with gold chain link belts. A lean, floor-sweeping Victorian jacket is trimmed with ivory lace and worn over a blouse and silk mini skirt. An off-the- shoulder organza top is paired with flared jeans elaborately embroidered in gold. Gowns feature detachable bustles, dramatic trains and sculptural capes. Paillette-embroidered skirts shimmer like candlelight. Velvet, lamé and crystal heat-set denim amplify texture and shine.
A defining theme of the season is the return of the going-out top, the hero piece of that early-2000s ritual: Finding the perfect statement piece to put on with jeans and go conquer the night. Crystal and velvet corsets, stretch lace bustiers, a chain-mail beaded camisole are all designed to feel luxurious yet effortless. “Every top is a piece of candy,” says Stacey Bendet.
Fabrications stretch the boundaries of imagination and technological advancement. Gowns feature intense flora and fauna scenes rendered with 3-D embroideries of birds, flowers and the gears of the Industrial Revolution. This season also marks an evolution in process.
ALICE + OLIVIA employed proprietary AI technology to create photoreal renderings of original embroideries and embellishments. AI enhances precision and communication with artisans while maintaining full creative authorship.
Beauty underscores the romantic mood: pearl-accented braids woven with gold and crystal; clean, glowing skin; a rich, dark, opulent red lip; pearls adorn pink nails, fitting as the presentation falls on Valentine’s Day.
New York’s historic Surrogate’s Court, once known as the Hall of Records, an architectural landmark constructed during the era, is transformed into a larger-than-life cinematic journey through the 19th-century opulence and innovation. The Beaux-Arts architecture of the venue provides a fitting backdrop for a series of immersive vignettes that act as a living tableau of the Gilded Age’s excess and evolution. Upon entering the main hall, guests encounter a grand staircase draped with a larger-than-life pearl necklace and an ornate turn-of-the-century camera overlooking a gilded bedroom. A towering 20-foot gown doubles as a theater curtain. Nearby, an installation of eight-foot-tall crystal-encrusted books, including Mark Twain’s The Gilded Age, set a literary mood, while an antique automobile, clock and luggage evoke the era’s spirit of exploration and travel.
At its core, The Gilded Age is about duality — progress and excess, advancement and traditionalism, the power of ornamentation.
ALICE + OLIVIA Fall/Winter 2026 is a celebration of women who understand that glamour is not frivolity. It’s a feminine force of nature.
