Alice + Olivia Fall Winter 2025-2026 “Shakespeare In Love”. Story by RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo / Video Courtesy: Sam Spence / Alice + Olivia.
New York Fashion Week is no stranger to theatrics, but Stacey Bendet has taken things to a decidedly literary level for Alice + Olivia’s Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collection. Inspired by the Bard himself, Bendet transforms Shakespearean drama into wearable romance, channeling the poetic melancholy of his greatest works through lace, embroidery, and an unexpected mix of structured tailoring and whimsical decadence.
Straight to the Source
Rather than relying on surface-level Shakespearean aesthetics, Bendet and her team went to the archives in Stratford-upon-Avon—the playwright’s birthplace—to study historical textiles, embellishments, and even old theater sets. What they returned with is a collection that fuses Elizabethan grandeur with contemporary wearability. The mood? Dark, dramatic, and just the right amount of romantic.
The Shakespearean Wardrobe, Rewritten
Initially inspired by the fairy-filled forests of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bendet soon expanded the vision, pulling references from Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet, and All’s Well That Ends Well. But beyond the plays, Shakespeare’s own life also played a role in shaping the collection—seen in the voluminous tiered lace skirts, structured velvet coats, and ruffled-collar denim suits that feel equal parts historical and modern.
Yet, this is Alice + Olivia, not a period drama. Instead of replicating Elizabethan costumes, Bendet delivers commercially playful yet poetic pieces, where Shakespearean themes subtly whisper rather than shout. Cocktail dresses embroidered with his most famous quotes, shredded jeans dripping in rhinestones, pearls, and chains, and the ever-present floral prints—this time moodier, darker, more mysterious—all bring a contemporary, street-ready edge to the literary fantasy.
Who Wears the Crown?
The jury is still out on whether Queen Titania or Lady Macbeth would opt for skintight latex pants and jacquard miniskirts in 2025, but one thing is certain: someone standing in the cold outside Alice + Olivia’s NYFW presentation absolutely will. And that’s the beauty of Bendet’s approach—while the inspiration may be steeped in history, the final result is undeniably now.
See All Looks Alice + Olivia Fall Winter 2025-2026
