What would Shakespeare characters wear today? For Alice + Olivia’s fall 2025 collection, Stacey Bendet took inspiration from the Bard himself. Initially compelled by the fairy-filled forests of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bendet opted to expand to other plays, including The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and All’s Well That Ends Well. Beyond his oeuvre, Shakespeare’s own life was a point of reflection for the designer, reflected in voluminous tiered lace skirts and tailored denim suiting with dramatic ruffled collars and sleeves.
Bendet sent her design team straight to the source for their fall 2025 research process. “We went into the archives in Stratford-upon-Avon where you got to look at all the fabric, the embellishments, quotes, old theater sets,” she said. Unlike other designers (Ricardo Tisci and David Koma among them) who have offered their interpretation of the playwright’s work, Bendet’s work is far more commercial than esoteric. See: the novelty cocktail dresses, sweaters embroidered with Shakespeare quotes (“Though she be but little, she is fierce” was a no-brainer), and shredded jeans adorned with rhinestones, pearls, and chains. Still, Bendet offered occasionwear, like a salmon gown with a tiered lace skirt and puff sleeves, and a high-neck black coat splashed with intricately embroidered flowers. “We always do floral prints, but I wanted them to feel a little more moody and romantic,” she said.
The jury is still out on whether Queen Titania and Lady Macbeth would be wearing skintight latex pants and jacquard miniskirts in 2025. But, judging by the throngs of people waiting eagerly in the cold outside Alice + Olivia’s New York Fashion Week presentation, someone definitely will.
