Amidst the unveilings of Spring/Summer 2026 collections across New York City, Who Decides War revealed its 11th collection through the brand’s signature stained-glass lens. Titled Read the Room, the lineup explored the tension between ruin and renewal. As Téla D’Amore hinted before the show, this season reflected one of the most challenging years she and Ev Bravado had ever faced. Drawing inspiration from ruins in the most literal sense, garments conjured images of broken walls, peeling wallpaper, and smoldering rubble. “We wanted to find a way to recreate these unconventional materials into fabrics. While something may look like a poster, it is actually screen-printed on fabric,” D’Amore explained during the show preview.
Guests gathered inside a Brooklyn warehouse, where fluorescent lights cut across the runway and framed guest performer Leon Thomas. According to Ebony, the front row mirrored the brand’s diverse fanbase, with appearances by YG Marley, Shareef O’Neal, Lola Brooke, and Next Gen NYC’s Ava Dash. The atmosphere was both gritty and intimate, a fitting backdrop for a collection built on contrasts.
The show opened with sharp energy: cool-toned denim, bold black patchwork, and silhouettes referencing military epaulettes in Look 2. Soon after came rugged distressed leather, this time in black scalloped croc and weathered brown, evoking a smoldering edge. Stylist Jan-Michael Quammie guided the eye through thoughtful layering—seen in Look 9, which subtly set the stage for a double-breasted gray suit embroidered with text. The pacing of the show carried viewers seamlessly from one texture to the next, echoing the theme of destruction rebuilt into beauty.
Femininity also took a more intentional form this season, with deconstructed gowns gliding down the runway. “We’ve always given a lot of energy towards the materialization of the men’s side, so this season it was really about making sure the womenswear was up to par, if not better,” D’Amore shared. Heavy distressing and maximalist detail kept with the brand’s DNA, while slimmer tailoring introduced a refreshing shift that balanced edge with elegance. The effect was both familiar and surprising, a testament to the duo’s ability to evolve without abandoning their core identity.
For Bravado, this season felt deeply personal. “In past collections, I felt like I wasn’t really creating for myself, but this season is how I want to dress,” he told HypeBae backstage. That authenticity reached its peak in the finale: a ball gown layered with tulle and screen-printed fabric, echoing the ruins of a graffitied city. It was dramatic yet grounded, the kind of look that lingers long after the runway clears.
Together, Bravado and D’Amore pushed Who Decides War into new territory, reimagining the beloved stained-glass motif through fresh silhouettes and innovative fabric techniques. Their undeniable creative chemistry was on full display, proving once again that innovation and relevance need not be at odds—while leaving the audience to ask the brand’s eternal question: Who Decides War?