There were so many good pants—that was the undeniable takeaway from SC103’s Spring 2026 show. Held in a rocky Brooklyn parking lot surrounded by corrugated metal and barbed wire, the setting felt raw and industrial on the outside but warm and inviting within. Before the show, guests passed around bags of popcorn and butterscotch candies, while drinks flowed afterward, creating a festival-like atmosphere that perfectly captured the designers’ vision.
“When dreaming up this show, we were thinking about the parking lots of festivals, carnivals, and rodeos—those calm, open spaces where you unwind after a long day,” wrote Claire McKinney and Sophie Andes-Gascon in an email. “Bright lights against the night sky reminded us of playing fields… just drifting in open spaces without a sense of time. Nothing better.”
That sense of serenity and spaciousness flowed into the clothes themselves. Crafted primarily from silk and cotton, the collection felt like a daydream in motion—soft, airy, and quietly self-assured. “We’ve been thinking about this sort of trance or sleepwalk style of being,” McKinney said, describing the collection’s calm, collected mood.
The designers also pushed their boundaries creatively, experimenting with footwear made entirely from leftover or repurposed materials. There were lace-up sandals in exposed horsehair, foil tape–wrapped rope sandals in silver and gold, and others built from leftover screen-printed knits. These unconventional shoes lent a subtle futuristic touch, giving the rocky terrain a lunar, otherworldly vibe.
Six years into their label, Andes-Gascon and McKinney showed a newfound maturity this season. Their signature sense of handmade magic remained, but the construction felt more refined—confident without losing its creative spontaneity. That confidence was echoed by the models themselves, over half of whom were over 30. “Sophie and I are both 32,” McKinney noted. “We’ve been asking ourselves what our goals are beyond just the clothes—how to merge our lives, our values, and what we want to contribute.”
The show opened with a minimalist statement piece: a collarless white shirt and tiered skirt. It was a surprising choice for a duo known for their love of color and collage, but it worked. “We were thinking about blank surfaces like drop cloths, sails, and banners,” the designers explained—functional materials with simple but powerful details like grommets and rope ties. The following looks built on that foundation, featuring asymmetric denim, airy mesh sets, and deconstructed silhouettes accented with stripes, fringe, and lacing.
A standout moment came in the form of a fuchsia drawstring dress, its circular cutouts creating breezy air pockets that caught the light and wind. “We wanted garments that are adjustable, with channels that let you play with silhouette and space,” the designers said. “Weather was a theme in general.”
Another highlight: a butter-yellow and licorice-black silk chiffon dress with a 1920s elegance—its appliqués slightly irregular yet impeccably finished. The balance of polish and ease defined the collection’s spirit.
Today, SC103 is in its stride. Working more closely with partners has freed the designers from small-scale production, giving them more room to experiment and create. “It feels like a better use of our brains rather than sewing robotically,” Andes-Gascon shared. From their humble brick-walled studio in Red Hook, they continue to chart their own course in fashion. “We’ve set up our own systems that feel right to us,” McKinney said.
Six years on, their message feels clearer than ever: authenticity is the real luxury. And as Shakespeare put it best—“to thine own self be true.”
