Caroline Dalal
Libertine’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway unfolded at the storied Elizabeth Street Garden on September 10 at 5 p.m., where backstage energy mirrored the collection’s poetic themes.
Exclusive backstage images captured designer Johnson Hartig’s meticulous vision coming to life, with hand-printed linens and surrealist prints awaiting their runway debut.
The “Magritte Cloud” print appeared backstage as airy optimism in fabric form, a nod to René Magritte’s poetic surrealism.
Hollyhock motifs, inspired by 15th- and 16th-century botanical drawings, stood out in preparation, symbolizing admiration and aspiration before models took their first steps.
Hair and makeup stations reflected the collection’s ethos of beauty as resistance, with subtle details reinforcing Hartig’s “love revolution” narrative.
Exclusive shots revealed garments influenced by the elegance of 19th-century North African Zouave soldiers, blending history with contemporary artistry.
Models backstage embodied the theme of patience and nurture, echoing Hartig’s metaphor of gardening as an act of beauty against all odds.
The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as each silhouette transformed into a vessel of beauty and truth before meeting the runway.
Libertine’s art-driven identity was evident in every backstage detail, underscoring that fashion, here, is not frivolous but foundational.
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