Bizarre fashion show depicting smiles

The creative brand, run by Hillary Taymour, has released a powerful and beautiful collection of countless smiling models.

With Collina Strada, you have to expect the unexpected. After unleashing her own (fake) animal world on the runway last season, creative director Hillary Taymour returned to New York Fashion Week for another imaginative show—this time, one with models spinning around with eerie grins from ear to ear, titled “Softness is Tough.”

While it may seem humorous at first, the intention behind Taymour’s madness is detailed in this season’s collection notes: “As we laugh and endure the painful present, in which the world burns and reproductive, trans, and human rights are threatened, we summon the power of radical softness.” Recognizing the conflict of underrepresented communities, Collina Strada seeks to champion marginalized voices through all-feminine fashion, offering a reminder of the “power of beauty” and “the grittiness of femininity.”

The collection kicks off with a pointed-shoulder artichoke corset paired with high-waisted satin shorts decorated with floral prints. More of the brand’s Dante pants follow in the next look, and the corset also reappears in a number of printed dresses. Meanwhile, the denim has been nicknamed “Apple Blossom Jeans” for its flattering silhouette.

Though rooted in ladylike style, the collection is not gender-neutral; in fact, there are plenty of androgynous pieces, including pink satin blazers, organza shirts, lace-up tank tops, charcoal jeans and banana-striped boxer briefs, that are subtle yet unconventional. They include I Care a Lot, I Wear Collina Strada books turned into clutches and buckled shoes with spikes extending from their arches.

Sheer textiles, velvet and lace defined the final silhouette of the collection, tying the bow on the brand’s overall feminine foundation. In all its whimsy, it was Collian Strada: playful fashion, worthy moves and a clear message.