July 4, 2026 will mark America’s 250th birthday, and Stacey Bendet wanted Alice + Olivia’s spring 2026 collection to meet the moment. Bendet decided to forgo her usual Meatpacking District venue for the Surrogate’s Court in downtown Manhattan, a one-time mansion, and now the backdrop for various legal affairs. Upon entry, attendees were greeted by Bendet’s interpretation of Lady Liberty: a model standing on the balcony wearing a rhinestone-encrusted iteration of the statue’s diadem and dressed in a billowing white floral dress that draped over the entryway. (The florals, Bendet explained, were “like America’s garden.”)
“In a time when we are so divided, I wanted to do something that just reminded us how beautiful the country and the women of our country are,” Bendet said. The show’s motifs, however, did not seem like they’ll appeal to a bipartisan audience. On a sleeveless dress, a bodice with a plunging V-neck featured an American flag, an eagle in flight over the bust. The skirt was collaged with photos of the Statue of Liberty emblazoned with the words “American Beauty,” and a jodhpurs-clad equestrian on horseback, and another flag with only 48 stars.
Everything from fast food to classic American sportswear served as a reference for spring 2026. One section—spanning ‘50s-inspired tea-length layered organza dresses and opera gloves, to more modern, pearl-encrusted jackets and jeans—derived from a conversation with Bendet’s friend, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who sent her a photograph from an old issue of Vogue.
Elsewhere, in a denim-filled section of the presentation, featuring models in denim capris and bedazzled jeans, Bendet cited the Industrial Revolution as a point of inspiration. But she also noted that this season was something of an “inspiration revolution,” in regards to her use of AI to create prints. “Anything that I want to render, I don’t have to spend [time] doing it in Photoshop, going back and forth,” she said. “I can literally sit there and dictate to AI exactly what I want.” Maybe next time the flag will have all 50 stars.
