The baseline quotient of fantasy is usually pretty high in Alice + Olivia collections. This time, enabled by AI that has unlocked more imaginative capability for her, designer Stacey Bendet unleashed fantasy fully with a collection themed around “Alice in Wonderland.”
“I will literally sit and play with all the embroidery using AI myself,” said Bendet. “Things that used to take me back and forths with my design team for weeks, I can just go ‘I want this.’”
Bendet’s tinkering resulted in a plethora of intricate prints. A maximalist, multicolored, ultra-embellished garden scene covered a trio of looks: a classic, bulbous ball gown, an opera coat, and a scarf-top paired with a midi skirt. Gilded floral motifs detailed two regal dresses, one, with a train that cascaded down the steps, was worn by Bendet’s 15-year-old daughter. (The magical moment between girlhood and womanhood has also been on Bendet’s mind, she said.)
Bendet declared it was “the season of the dress,” but she also showed a few lacy separates, button-up and blazer combos, and bedazzled and be-ribboned, limited-edition white tank tops—“back to the early 2000s,” she said. A giant high-heeled sculpture in her Park Avenue presentation space helped announce her relaunch of footwear. The brand will soon offer a range of colorful pumps, slingbacks, platforms, and ballet flats “at a contemporary price point,” she said.
As her bustling presentation evidenced, there are plenty of people with whom Bendet’s idea of fantasy resonates.
