Married designer duo Anna Rose Shaheen and Anthony Cucculelli unveiled their Collection 21, titled 'Flaming Hearts,' at New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026. The sunset-lit runway show at Pier 40's Picnic House featured live music by The Thing, while front-row guests included Halestorm's Lzzy Hale and actress Bianca Lawson. Anthony Cucculelli shared insight into the creative process, stating 'So this collection, like the last two seasons, we've really tried to just get inside of ourselves. Rather than be inspired by something or pull different artists and inspirations, we wanted to bring out all the things that we love--prints, motifs, including some archive motifs we used this season. For six months, we were constantly feeding our brain with shows, live music, and all this stuff, and then realized it's about releasing all of that inspiration.' This season, the collection takes a fresh direction with both silhouette and surface, striking a balance between ease and complexity. The design team introduced looser, more fluid shapes, deliberately moving away from rigid structure and heavy construction, allowing the garments to breathe and move effortlessly. Tactile richness dominates the collection, with Italian brocades and specialty card fabrics reimagined through innovative layering and hand-beating techniques that create striking dimensionality. Handcrafted details abound, with intricate appliqué work layered over tie-dyed bases, blending print and texture in unexpected, captivating ways. Beading and embroidery contribute to a maximalist aesthetic, resulting in pieces that expertly balance artisanal craftsmanship with wearable lightness. 'Flaming Hearts' is a vivid allegory of virtue and love, a fusion of progress and beauty--an ode to passion that simply can't be contained.
