Eva Xiaoxiao Gao, Lucid Dreaming, 2026

This collection is inspired by lucid dreaming, a fragile moment when the mind is awake inside a dream. It explores the quiet drift of self-awareness between reality and imagination, where memories feel blurred yet emotionally precise. In this in-between state, logic softens, time folds, and identity becomes fluid. The garments translate this sensation through the interplay between structured fabrics and sheer layers, creating a tension between structure and transparency. Solid forms are layered with drifting surfaces, suggesting a body that exists between stability and uncertainty, neither fully awake nor fully dreaming. The collection invites the wearer into a poetic space of reflection, transformation, and gentle escape.

The Design Show

The Design Show features garments, accessories, lookbooks, fragrances, and portfolio work, offering visitors an opportunity to engage with both the finished collections and the creative processes behind them. Together, these presentations reveal the breadth of ideas, approaches, and perspectives that define the Fashion Design Class of 2026.

The work on view reflects the creativity, rigor, and vision of a new generation of designers shaping the future of fashion through thoughtful and engaged practice.