Collina Strada founder Hillary Taymour continues our Lingerie on Film profile series. We talked to the New York based designer about the honesty needed to evolve sustainability in fashion, rewearing clothes, processing fear through celebration, and her beloved dog Pow.
ARAKS: Is there anything you would like to share with us about how you chose to take on this project?
HILLARY TAYMOUR: Just a fan of the brand!
A: Do you recall a moment or point when you became aware of your interest in fashion?
HT: I was three and needed to have particular outfits for each of my dolls.
A: What are you working on at the moment that you’re most excited about?
HT: A few collabs I am not allowed to speak about yet, and myself.
 | A: Sustainability has remained a central commitment since the beginning. As Collina Strada has evolved into a platform for climate awareness, social awareness, and self-expression, how has your vision for what sustainability means changed or deepened over time? HT: Sustainability started as this urgent call, a personal responsibility. Now, it’s more of a layered conversation. It’s not just about fabric choices or where we source; it’s how we exist, who we include, how we challenge systems, and how we show up. I’ve realized sustainability isn’t a checkbox—it’s a lens. Every decision is through that lens. It’s activism, it’s softness, it’s care. It’s allowing growth without compromise, but with a lot of creative rethinking. And that keeps it exciting.
A: At your FW25 show in February, you turned a New Jersey thrift haul into Collina couture, reworking heirloom wedding dresses into outerwear and dresses. You also debuted your accessories collaboration with Brooklyn-based biomaterials company TômTex, made from their biodegradable vegan materials. Can you tell us how that project came together and what excited you about it? HT: I love a good thrift dig—it’s chaotic and full of potential. Those wedding dresses had energy, history, sadness, and joy all sewn in, so flipping them into something new felt kind of like healing. With TômTex, it was a natural vibe match. We met at a sustainability lecture, and I immediately responded to their material. It looks futuristic, but feels like Earth. I’m always trying to push beyond “greenwashing” aesthetics—this was an actual alternative, not a compromise. That gets me hyped.
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A: Fashion, by nature, is at odds with sustainability, it’s an industry built on creating and selling newness. As your brand continues to grow, how do you find the balance between scaling up and staying true to your sustainability values?
HT: Yeah, fashion’s a contradiction. But I think that’s where the magic is. We don’t pretend to be perfect—we’re just radically transparent. We scale weirdly: slow, intentional, messy in a beautiful way. I’ll never stop using deadstock or partnering with innovators like TômTex or small artisans. Growth doesn’t mean uniformity—it means deeper impact, louder messaging, bigger experiments. The balance is found in honesty. And a little chaos.
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A: In the Fall of 2023, you released i care a lotta, i wear collina strada with your longtime collaborator Charlie Engman, a book full of imagery, storytelling, and a sustainability cheat sheet. What’s one tip from the book that you think everyone should take to heart?
HT: Stop being afraid to repeat outfits. That’s the hill I’ll die on. Style doesn’t come from owning a million things—it comes from rewearing them in ways that feel like you’ve evolved with the clothes. Also, compost. Like, seriously. But mostly: don’t let guilt paralyze you—use it to transform your behavior in small, joyful ways.
A: You’ve always cast friends, family, even your dog Pow, in your shows and campaigns. What do you love most about working with people you know so well?
HT: It’s trust. It’s comfort. It’s the opposite of “fashion girl on autopilot.” There’s awkwardness, and humor, and deep connection when you work with your real community. The energy just hits different—like, you can’t fake that. Pow shows up, and everyone’s like, “Okay, this isn’t a regular runway.” That’s the point. I want love and laughter sewn into the seams.
 | A: Your shows always manage to say something important, but still feel like a party. How do you strike that balance? HT: I want people to feel urgency, but also hope and humor. We process fear through celebration. I don’t take myself too seriously. A: Where is Collina Strada going next, and can you share what excites you about the year ahead? HT: We’re working on more radical material collaborations, and I’m excited to push storytelling even further, with fun experiences. We just opened our new store, and I’m excited to explore that space. A: Who have been some of your muses through the years? Sara Hiromi and Sasha Frolova. HT: What 3 words would you use to describe your aesthetic? Romantic, chaotic, thoughtful. A: Is there a specific person, place or thing that you look to for inspiration on the regular? HT: Nature, always. Mainly the ocean—there’s something about its movement that just calms and resets me. And anything green: It reminds me to stay grounded. A: Is there a particular period in fashion or subculture that you feel a special kinship with stylistically? HT: Spring 2008 Prada. A: What is something people might be surprised to learn about you? HT: I’m kind of a homebody these days. |
Dream collaborator–dead or alive?
Prince.
What is something you’ve loved for a long time?
My dog.
What is something you would love to learn?
French and Italian.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Move to New York as soon as you can.
Can you share a favorite quotation, lyric, or line from a book or song that has stuck with you?
“There is no such thing as away. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.” —Annie Leonard
What is something that you feel is overrated? Underrated?
Fashion is both.
What artist, project, or book would you recommend?
Tommy Dorfman’s new book and Tourmaline’s latest book, MARSHA.
What are you terrible at but love to do anyway?
Love.
Can you tell us a joke?
See below.
Please fill in the blank–Beauty is___
Available for purchase.
What are you most looking forward to?
Summer.
Thank you Hillary!
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