Inside a stark Chelsea gallery, Renee Cafaro Atelier unveiled its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, “Out of Scale,” at New York Fashion Week on Friday, Sept. 12. The stripped-down space became a canvas for Renee Cafaro’s fearless designs. As the lights fell and electronic beats pulsed through the room, the runway ignited with raw energy, setting the tone for unapologetic boldness. 

With the brand mission of redefining the customer base for couture, Cafaro has built her house on the promise of luxury without exclusion. Her work champions the plus-size community — historically excluded from high fashion — with pieces ethically crafted by artisans in New York’s Garment District. “Out of Scale” was no exception, a declaration that true couture belongs to every body.

With a background in social justice, Cafaro brings activism to the heart of her design process by advocating for fair wage business practices and offering a larger range of sizes in haute couture. 

“The activist in me wants to speak up, be defiant,” Cafaro told WSN. “But then you also need escapism and whimsy, because it gets too heavy.” The juxtaposition of sharp political statements and playful fantasy was thoughtfully stitched into each look.

“This is my most diverse runway yet,” Cafaro said, describing the gender-inclusive cast and acknowledging the impact that the rollback of rights and diversity initiatives had on the collection. “People are rolling back our rights, rolling back DEI. I wanted to double down.”

The collection reflected this blend of socially charged messages with whimsical stylistic elements. Suits and ruffled pants brushed shoulders with gowns draped in vinyl records, florals bloomed alongside bursts of neon, sheer textures and softened pastels. Some pieces stood as direct political commentary, while others stood as camp and escapist outfits.

One of the most striking looks had the words “HEADS WILL ROLL” scrawled in blood-red letters across the bodice, with the skirt a cascade of playing cards that fanned and fluttered with each step. From behind, a sweeping train declared “NO KINGS MORE QUEENS,” transforming the model into a defiant Queen of Hearts whose stride was commanding the room. 

The tension between eccentric style choices and poignant commentary reverberated throughout the show. At times playful — candy motifs, florals, vinyl records — and at others bluntly confrontational, Cafaro’s designs live in contradiction. It was the harsher, more political notes, however, that ultimately lingered longest.

“Walking down the runway feels like home to me,” Jazzmine Carthon told WSN. “And then to do it with all of these beautiful bodies, all having agency and showing up for ourselves in an industry that tells us that we need to be erased. I felt empowered. I felt like a bad bitch.”

Carthon embodied confidence in her look, wearing a gown patterned in licorice and candy motifs in all sizes, draping gracefully with an open back. 

“There are pieces that have candy and different whimsical things for when she [Cafaro] wanted to be happy or a little dystopian,” Carthon said. “Things that are larger than life that compensate for the way we’re feeling in the world. So I think with mine, all of the candy is giving that excitement.”