“We are the women of Collina / Our strength reflected in Collina.” So sang a chorus of angelic female voices backed by a heavy-metal soundtrack—sprinkled in with the most iconic parts of Britney Spears’s “Stronger” for good measure—that opened the Collina Strada show. “This collection is about being a strong woman or a strong feminine power navigating the chaos that is going on in this world,” Hillary Taymour said at her new Chinatown studio a few days before the show. “We’re not casting any cis men this season, which I’ve never done before, but it just felt right.” The models included her usual diverse group of friends and collaborators along with a pregnant model (in a great pair of lace-trimmed shorts); another who walked with the baby she’d recently given birth to; and, crucially, a few bodybuilders. “It’s time we reshape that meathead vision into something closer to the reality of femininity, something altogether sweatier and more refined,” said Taymour. Models had wet, slick-backed hair and a general dewiness about them, and a few of the sweatshirts came with “sweat stains” around the neck (this wasn’t about athleisure, but about putting in the work).

There was a slight sense of things being pared back this season, although the runway show was as playful as ever—some models carried dumbbells with squashes at the end; others wore fake-rubber muscle tops painted in matching patterns and colors. The double Collina walk this time included the models striding seriously toward the end of the runway, their arms bowed slightly away from the body as if their muscles wouldn’t allow them to rest comfortably, and then on the walk back letting their guard down, skipping or swiveling their hips in an extra-dramatic fashion.

The first look was a simple draped black T-shirt paired with loose velvet trousers in an abstract print in shades of black, mint green, and mustard yellow with a black ruffle cascading around the legs. The pants had a double waistband that gave the appearance of the top of a pair of boxers sticking out from underneath, something that Taymour said was an important part of her approach to product development. “We want to be able to offer smart shopping for people who love the look but perhaps can only save up for one thing,” she explained. Similarly, a pair of cargo pants had a built-in belt-skirt of sorts with drawstring details that would further help the wearer customize the look to their body. The shoes were done in collaboration with Ugg (made of a corn by-product) and Puma (made from mushroom leather).