Stacey Bendet’s spring/summer 2026 Alice + Olivia collection was an All-American dream.
The Alice + Olivia show showcased Bendet’s “powerful women” energy, with comic book-inspired dresses, American flags, gorgeous floral prints, chic tennis clothes and more.
Held at the Surrogate’s Court during New York Fashion Week on Saturday, September 13, stars including Nicky Hilton, Brooks Nader, Grace Ann Nader, Sarah Jane Nader, Mary Holland Nader, Sarah Pidgeon and Ashlee Simpson came out to see the fabulous fashion-forward presentation.
Inside the venue, Bendet, 46, exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about her inspiration behind the line, sharing that she was designing for “American women.”
The designer said she hopes that “all powerful women” want to be seen in pieces from her collection. “I want women in politics. I want doctors, I want lawyers. It’s not just about actresses and influencers. To me, it’s really about women who represent America [and] American culture.”
Bendet added that she focused on updating “traditional American sportsware” for the line, reviving vintage styles with her own personal touch. She designed “a trench coat, but the whole bottom is organza,” a see-through fabric. “Or a cargo pant, but it’s sheer.”
“I wanted to do something that reflected on culture and even industry over time,” she explained to Us.
Bendet also explained that she and her friend Lauren Sánchez, who recently tied the knot with Jeff Bezos in June, agreed that the venue needed to recreate a vintage Vogue photo shoot in which models posed in a Gilded Age room.
“I was staring at this set, trying to figure out what to create in the Hall of Records under the staircase,” she said.. “And when I saw that image, it was this magical moment. I was like, ‘Are you reading my mind?’ We recreated the set.”
Bendet’s daughters also attended the show, and her eldest, Eloise, 17, even posed with Brooks, 29, and her Love Thy Nader star sisters on the step-and-repeat. Bendet quipped to Us that her little ones are finally “at the age where they’re starting to think [she’s] cool.” (Bendet is also the mom of Scarlet Eisner, 14, and Athena Belle Eisner, 5, whom she shares with husband Eric Eisner.)
“My oldest daughter would only wear horseback riding clothes,” Bendet said. “We posted a funny video of her trying to walk in heels. She’s stunningly beautiful, but I think it’s so charming that she walks like she’s on a horse.”