Cult Gaia

Shirzan, meaning lioness in Farsi, gives the collection its name. It speaks to a femininity that is instinctive and ceremonial. Strength expressed not through restraint, but through presence.

Cult Gaia has always existed at the intersection of garment and object. For Fall 2026, that position is deepened as techniques traditionally associated with adornment assume structural purpose. Decoration becomes architecture.

Plisse is revisited with discipline and scale. Engineered pleats are pressed into sculptural volume and layered through ribbon techniques that create shadow and dimensional depth. Some silhouettes remain firm and architectural; others release into movement. The calla lily, a defining house code, appears across categories as a continuous form. Cast in brass and silver as jewelry, translated into hardware, and integrated into suiting, it evolves from motif into signature structure. Surface work contours the body rather than embellishing it. Hand-applied crystal, multi-dimensional stone beadwork, and dense embroidery are placed with intention, catching light in controlled flashes.

Handbags remain central, sculptural forms balancing art and intimacy. Molded leather contrasts softer silhouettes: calla lily hardware and stone-set details treat surface as structure. A chainmail lion bag debuts this season, which is a direct nod to my Iranian heritage and the symbolism of the lion as protection, sovereignty, and strength. Rendered in metal mesh, it moves between armor and adornment, object and emblem. Unexpectedly, select handbags are finished with detachable miniature charms, Bratzies, subtle references to my parallel universe of doll-making for Bratz. They function as talismans of whimsy: collectible and irreverent. A reminder that power can carry wit and spectacle can hold humor.

Jewelry anchors the body through weight and tactility. Brass, mineral stone, and cast metal and wood form cuffs, earrings, and rings that feel elemental. The calla lily appears again as form rather than ornament. Surfaces range from polished to molten, with carved stone and dimensional metalwork reinforcing the house's object-driven foundation.

Engineered pleating, hand-crocheted raffia, molded forms, beadwork, embroidery, sculptural leather shaping, and metal casting operate in dialogue. Spectacle is treated as ceremony, scale and ornament executed with precision. My grandmother's voice anchors the work in lineage. The runway expresses its evolution.

Shirzan honors the women who shaped my understanding of beauty. Women who carried strength in their posture, ceremony in their dress, and resilience in their softness.

This collection is my offering back to them. A declaration forward.

@titinapenzini