The Gilded Age Fall/Winter 26 Collection
Opulent romance and maximalist glamour…Corsets with conviction….Embroidery as artful armor. A world where excess mingles with invention, femininity is a power play, and the going-out top conquers all.
For Fall/Winter 2026, ALICE + OLIVIA reimagines the grandeur, romanticism and industrial ambition of the Gilded Age for the 21st-century woman. 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 Gilded Age was an era of beautiful dressing, and also a time of extremes in terms of wealth and industrial development. It feels relevant now,” says Stacey Bendet. “The idea is to take the Victorian elements — opulent embroideries, lace, tapestries and silks — and make them modern.”
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.
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.
ABOUT ALICE + OLIVIA
Launched in 2002, alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is a brand that allows women to express their personal style. With clothing that juxtaposes the whimsical and flirty with the sexy and sophisticated, a+o epitomizes the personality and perspective of its founder, Stacey Bendet. The brand was born from Stacey’s personal quest to create the perfect pair of pants and has since grown into a full lifestyle collection including ready-to-wear, gowns, shoes, handbags and accessories. The brand is a Hollywood favorite with celebrity fans including Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gigi Hadid and Jessica Alba. alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is available at the brand’s free-standing boutiques located across the Globe, aliceandolivia.com, and is available at over 800 select department and specialty stores worldwide.
In the Philippines, ALICE + OLIVIA is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, and Level 1 Rustan’s Makati. Visit ssilife.com.ph/maje or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.
About SSI Group, Inc.:
The SSI Group is the Philippines’ largest specialty retailer, with an established brand portfolio that includes some of the world’s most recognized international brands. We lead the country’s specialty retail market through the size and breadth of our brand portfolio and store network, with 94 brands and 593 stores. With our growing e-commerce presence, we are also the Philippine specialty retailer with the most diverse and extensive e-commerce offering. Our unique brand portfolio covers a wide range of specialty and lifestyle concepts, spanning the luxury, casual, and fast fashion, beauty, footwear, home, and restaurant categories. Established in the 1980s, SSI has been at the forefront of the Philippine retail industry for more than 30 years. Throughout this time, we have sought to inspire and enhance the lifestyle values of our customers and to cater to the evolving tastes and aspirations of Filipino consumers. In response to the evolution of the retail industry, the company introduced "The Specialist," an At Home concierge service dedicated to serving its valued customers with their shopping needs. Customers may get in touch with SSI’s Customer Service team through any of the following channels to inquire about a particular brand or product:
SSI GROUP CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM
Email: customerservice@ssigroup.com.ph
Telephone Number: 8-830-5000
Mobile Number: (0917) 552 9359
Facebook: facebook.com/SSILifePH
Instagram: @ssilifeph
Viber Community: bit.ly/SSILifePH
#TheSpecialistBySSI