Her brand, the KATE BARTON brand, eschews traditional thematic collections in favor of experimental, fabric-first creations that challenge convention. Barton’s garments are characterized by their sculptural elegance, employing geometric cutting and fabric manipulation techniques that transform simple fabric shapes into intricately draped garments.
Barton’s unique approach to design has not gone unnoticed. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Vogue, The Cut, Glamour, and WWD, where she was highlighted as “One to Watch.” Her ability to merge style with sustainability has made her a favorite among red- carpet stylists, leading to collaborations with celebrities like Beyoncé, Lisa, Katy Perry, Heidi Klum, and TV shows like Emily in Paris and Euphoria.
Through her discerning visual choices—from stylists to photographers to models—Kate Barton continuously shapes a distinct and modern perspective on American design, offering a refreshing and unique interpretation that empowers confident women who value discovery and a hint of intrigue. Her designs are a testament to the power of merging creativity with technology, redefining the fashion landscape and setting new standards for what it means to be a modern American designer.
Kate Barton was a finalist for the 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and is a 2025 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree
Where others lean on theme, Barton builds on shape, fabric, and the peculiar logic of illusion. For Spring/Summer 2026, she is at once brighter, sportier, and more surreal than ever before.
Barton began her label with a strikingly clear aesthetic, anchored in techniques she pioneered early on-draping, molding, trompe l’oeil, and playful design interventions that made her work immediately recognizable. That singular DNA has allowed her to exp and confidently, pushing into new product groups and more commercial avenues without drifting from the codes that define her brand.
Styled by Elizabeth Sulcer, the show builds a complete visual language that sharpens Barton’s experimental instinct while keeping her grounded in seductive codes. This season introduces jolts of color brighter than anything she has shown before—a distinct yet fresh addition to her signature pastel palette. Accompanying this shift is her first full-scale print, a playful and disruptive reimagining of the polka dot that appears almost three-dimensional, as if real embellishments were scattered across the fabric. Retro athletic references are interwoven with eveningwear codes, underscoring Barton’s fresh instinct for balancing the sportive with the feminine, the nostalgic with the new.
The runway setting amplifies that dialogue between fashion and technology. In collaboration with FIDUCIA AI, the show opens with an AI-generated model entering an alternate reality—then transporting into a liminal, dreamlike space that frames the entire presentation. The projection functions less as backdrop than as portal: a surrealist threshold into Barton’s world.
“This collection is about questioning preconceptions-my own included-about shape, print, and the ways we separate sportswear, fashion, and eveningwear. I wanted the runway to feel like a passage into another dimension, a space where these oppositions not only coexist but create something unexpectedly alluring.” — Kate Barton
