Tech, Workwear & Clout as Currency

Brooklyn-based designer Jane Wade returned to New York Fashion Week with her Spring/Summer 2026 collection, The Fulfillment, blending the grit of labor with the ubiquity of modern technology. Known for her obsession with workwear and dressing stars like Coco Jones, Tate McRae, Lala Anthony, and Camila Cabello, Wade continues to redefine workwear, this season taking her exploration of corporate hierarchies from the boardroom to the warehouse floor. A timer projected onto the industrial space’s walls marked the start of the show, reminding everyone that everybody’s clocked in, while exaggerated, utilitarian silhouettes translated the repetitive rhythms of work life into fashion-forward statements.

This season, Wade partnered with London-based tech company Nothing, whose sleek headphones, earbuds and phones became more than accessories — they were integral elements of the runway, blending futuristic design with everyday functionality. Even music played a pivotal role: the show featured a score from producer Adam Hadari that drew on ’90s trip-hop and electronic grooves, echoing the repetitive, clock-in-clock-out energy of the collection’s warehouse-inspired universe. King Princess also made a memorable return to the NYFW runway, wearing a washed-out denim set with a tearaway skirt that transformed from maxi to mini, highlighting the collection’s playful approach to utility and transformation.

Billboard caught up with Jane Wade at her Brooklyn studio ahead of the show, where she shared insights into the inspiration behind The Fulfillment, two musical artists she would love to work with, how she integrates technology into fashion, the role of music in shaping her collections, the cultural context of labor, time and attention in today’s creative industries, and so much more below.

You’re showing your SS26 collection this Sunday at NYFW. What story are you hoping to tell on the runway this season?

The story I’m hoping to tell on the runway this season is something relatable. I really want everybody to see how important their role is within their job — whether they’re somebody that, in my context of this universe, packs and ships the boxes, maybe they’re the manager on the floor, maybe they’re the CEO, maybe the director on the board. Every single person’s job is so essential, and we really try to cultivate that within our community — being really loving and really rewarding.

I think corporate tones and corporate structures are really having a shift right now, specifically in New York, specifically in fashion. With Gen Z coming through, no one’s taking their boss being rude to them or feeling not valued in the workplace. And so I think that’s kind of the storyline of what The Fulfillment is talking about within the hierarchies.

It’s just that I think everybody should feel relatable, but also feel valued.

There’s also a time notion in this collection, where our body’s labor is time and is paid for in time. I think everybody can, not necessarily take it away, but I think that will help relate it all back to everyone’s own experience in working culture: how we sell our body, our laborist body, for time and money.

Music and fashion are constantly in conversation with each other. Has music influenced this collection in any way?

For me personally, music influences my everyday life. I think that’s why the Nothing headphone integration is so relatable. When we’re on the go, A to B, I’m always plugged in and tapped in. Even if I pause my music to take a phone call, I’m still using that hands-free aspect.

Bringing music into the show is such a special experience. We work with a producer called Adam Hadari, who creates all of our show tracks. I actually listened to it for the first time in the Nothing headphones, which was a really fun experience.

He produces the track for all of our shows, and we usually begin at the start of a season with a vibe. Sometimes it’s inspired by my own background, my parents were hairdressers, and I grew up in hair salons in the nineties. So trip hop was always present: early electronica, very groovy and trancy, with deep bass and a repetitive notion. We thought that was perfect for this sort of fulfillment center setting, like clocking in, being in this repetitive, never-ending wheel of your position until you clock out and become yourself again. So having that ’90s, trip-hop electronic influence sets the tone for that.

When you think about putting on a show, how does music shape the atmosphere or the way your designs are experienced?

Arguably, the music is one of the most important parts of the show.

It absolutely sets the tone. Music is such a huge part of all of our lives, and if you’re a mood-based music person, you understand this notion. Just like lighting, or the models, or the clothes, the music itself creates the atmosphere — it’s almost like a spiritual thing.

At a runway show, especially with a collection like mine, where I want each character to feel relatable, music becomes essential. My universe isn’t meant to be whimsical or imaginary — it’s sort of the antithesis of that. Instead, I want people to see small reflections of themselves in each character. It could be through the tech, the socks they’re wearing, or a specific styling choice. You might find yourself saying, “Ah, that’s so me. That’s exactly how I’d approach an outfit.”

You’ve dressed artists like Tate McRae, Coco Jones and Camila Cabello. What do you think makes musicians such powerful ambassadors for your brand?

That’s so interesting that you picked up on that —and yes, it’s absolutely intentional. It’s actually part of my press strategy with my PR team. My publicist, Anthony Brooks, owns Anthony Brooks Consulting, a small firm with about 10 designers, and he’s very focused. Every year we sit down and talk through press strategy — what types of people we want my pieces to land on — and he fine-tunes it for each client.

For me personally, the connection matters. If someone is wearing my pieces, it has to be someone I admire and respect. That’s why you’ll see artists like Coco Jones or Keke Palmer in my designs. I gravitate toward musicians because I’m such a fan of music myself — particularly R&B and soul. A dream for me would be dressing Jazmine Sullivan, because I love and respect her artistry, her honesty, and even the rebirth she’s had in her career — leaning into tailoring, reintroducing herself as a woman, and channeling her experiences into her music.

So my strategy has always leaned toward musicians because that’s the craft I, as a designer, deeply admire. It feels more meaningful than just dressing random influencers or even actors sometimes. I want genuine creative collaboration — whether it’s through a stylist or directly with the artist. That’s what makes it resonate.

So intentionality is key?

Yes, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for and trying to build as I continue on. Same with King Princess in the show, she’s a musician, based in Bushwick, very cool, very down to earth. I don’t really like working with Hollywood people. She came into the fitting, was super humble and genuine, and I really respect that.

I respect her craft, and I can tell she respects mine, so it feels like we’re able to lift each other up. That’s what I mean about the difference. It feels different from how it was when I came up under others in the fashion space.

 It’s more humanizing.

Absolutely. We’re all human, just like you’re Chris, the person who doesn’t always work at Billboard. And when you’re in a clout-based industry, where that becomes the currency, it’s so easy to forget that. So for me, creating a special connection with every person I meet is so important.

I always want people to walk away from an interaction with me saying, “Wow, Jane was really lovely. She was such a nice person.” And that’s not my opinion of a lot of the people I’ve met or worked alongside in the industry. We have to be the change. We have to be the new wave.

Is there a deeper story to be told with this collection?

Every collection has a name, and every single name always has a sub-context within it. Our first collection was called The Commute, and it was about how we transition our wardrobe when going to and from work.

But my sub-context was that theres always an evil shadow. When we clock into work, we kind of have to zip off our personalities and not be our real selves. I felt like that was such an archaic way of building community in corporate settings, and that it actually makes people not want to work very hard for you.

With The Fulfillment, the sub-context is how clout culture is a currency, how attention itself has become a currency, just like our laboring bodies are. And now, everybody wants attention even more than they want money. Sometimes even more than they want love. And I think that’s a really fascinating cultural context we’re experiencing right now.

Yeah, we’re in an attention climate. Even on social media, you don’t get paid for posts — you get paid in likes, in affirmations. The post you make turns into a kind of currency in real life.

Yeah. Oh, that’s so true.

Let’s say I post at whatever store, that store may then offer me a brand deal in the future.

 Absolutely. 100%.

So it could possibly create physical currency in the long run as well.

Yeah, that’s so true. I didn’t even think about that, the sub-subplot.

This season you’ve partnered with Nothing, bringing headphones and smartphones into the show itself. Why was Nothing the right partner for this collection?

There could be a lot of correct partners for this type of styling, but Nothing has this retro-futuristic design taste that feels relatable — especially for people like me, born in ’95, who grew up during the tech boom.

It’s all those little details — the flat matte gray, the circular buttons, the Nintendo 64 feel. Those things are visceral for me. I remember them from my brother’s bedroom, watching him play video games, or from the exposed parts of the very first Game Boy. Nothing captures the essence of that feeling in their product design, which is so unique.

My collection and my garments are designed the same way, with this inside-out product development style. For example, take the hem of that skirt: you can see the white binding wrapping around the bottom. That’s actually a tailoring finish you’d normally find inside a men’s suit or jacket. It’s a way to perfectly clean a garment, not done with serging, not done with thread. That exposed bias finish has become a kind of hero code of my brand identity. It’s the flex: The garment is so perfectly considered and immaculately made that you could flip it inside out or wear it right side in.

I think Nothing applies that same idea to their product development. They’re like, “Let us show you the hardware.” They do it through exposed paneling, acetate, or maybe a plastic clear layer — I don’t know the exact fabrication — you can actually see the design of the piece. For me, that felt like: same same.

The Nothing earbuds will be seen backstage and in the show. Will models actually be listening to music through them, or are they serving more as visual elements?

They’re definitely going to be visual elements, and I’ll give you two parts to this. The first part is that we wanted the models to be listening to their own music on the runway, to create that kind of experiential moment for them.

But as we were casting and telling people that, they started to get nervous. They were like, “Oh no, I’m worried I won’t be able to hear what’s happening around me.” Some of the feedback we got was, “My favorite part is when I’m wearing a really cool piece and the audience gasps as I walk by.”

This happens a lot in styling. For example, we had this concept for The Fulfillment look where she was going to run out in the outfit. But when a model hesitates, that’s a moment to meet them with relief because ultimately, you want the person wearing it to feel their absolute best. They should be super-comfortable, fully activated in the character and the look. If they’re not feeling it, the audience feels that.

So yeah, that’s why we had the idea initially — but then realized, actually, bad idea. We definitely want the models to be able to hear their cues.

We will have the watch timer going during the show, and Zara will have the watch timer on her wrist while walking. So you’ll still see little nuggets of the product in motion but not in the over-ears, just for safety. We want them to feel comfortable.

You’ve collaborated with Nike before, and sneakers are such a big part of fashion today. How does sneaker culture or streetwear influence the way you approach design?

Yeah, that’s a really good question. I think sneakers, trainers, any sort of functional shoe has such a fascinating POV for me because not only is the design supposed to be really considered and unique, but it should also be performance-based. That’s another reason why we’ve collaborated with Salomon in the past.

Even highlighting that shoe was about mountain skiing. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, like I was telling you, that’s deeply integrated into the culture there.

For me, any kind of performance-baked product is so special. With accessories, it’s easier to pick a lane, but with garments, especially with that collection, The Commute I was telling you about, it was about having a suit I could actually move in. Something I could wear if I needed to get on the ground and pull fabric rolls out from under the factory table, or a jacket with removable sleeves if I need to breathe.

Skiwear has so many vents and tactile functions built into the garments, and it makes me ask: why aren’t our everyday clothes designed like this? That’s why I look to brands like Arc’teryx and ACG. That performance-based lens on design feels so special because it’s real. Our garments are made to work for us—not the other way around, where the outfit is so tricky it’s useless.

When you’re creating a collection that reimagines workwear, what goes into your decision-making around fabrics, cuts, and silhouettes?

Workwear is such a broad word, and I think contextually in the industry it usually means pockets, canvas, and durable fabrics.

For me, the entire brand idea is about expanding what “workwear” means. If you work in an office, your workwear might be a suit, but how can that suit have more functional aspects beyond just being beautiful and crispy?

That person might need vents for their armpits if they’re in  having a crazy interview and they’re like hot  Or maybe they need pieces that can be styled in more than one way — like if a pant zips off at the bottom, suddenly you’ve got a new look for nighttime. I think that’s so cool.

For me, workwear just means designing garments that work for us in all of our different work settings.

Your work often challenges traditional office attire. What do you want people to feel when they put on Jane Wade?

I want people to feel powerful, confident and unique.

I think we’re exiting this era of fashion where everyone was caught up in logo mania, where people would buy something just because it said Gucci, or if no one knew it was Gucci, they didn’t want it. Insert any other major fashion label here.

Now, I think we’re shifting into a space where what’s popular isn’t what’s cool. With the overexposure of social media, everything has a peak and then  reverts to something completely opposite.

Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, if you didn’t have A-pocket jeans, True Religions, or UGG boots, and instead had Emu boots, you weren’t considered cool. That cycle is at the end and now we’re reemerging into a space where being totally unique is what makes you stylish.

If every single person is wearing the Apple over-ear headphones, the Pro Max 27s then you’re just assimilating in your style choices. We’re moving into a time where having something no one’s ever seen before, that makes people go “Whoa, what is that piece? What brand is that? Where’d you find it?” that’s what’s becoming cool.

 Yeah. It’s like standing out to fit in.

I think having your own personal style is so much more important now than just looking expensive or recognizable. That’s why a lot of my pieces can be taken apart and worn in different ways, because when someone interacts with it for the first time, they’re actually designing it themselves in a lot of ways.

 How does nothing fit into that?

I think their product totally stands out. Every single time I wear the over-ears, I get stopped at least five times — people come up, touch them, and ask, “What are these? These are so sick.” And I’ve only used the black ones and the silver ones. I personally love that experience when people are like, “Where’d you get that?” because that’s the same conversation I want with my garments. Whenever I’m wearing a Jane Wade piece, people ask, “What are those shorts? These are so sick.”

That’s also the feedback I get from almost every customer. They’ll say, “Honestly, when I first bought it and tried to style it, I thought, is this too much? But then I wore it out, and I got so many compliments that it actually inspired me to buy more unique pieces and lean into my own style.” And I’m the same way. Sometimes it’s just jeans and a tank top, but every time I step out in something special, as long as it’s comfortable, why not?

People stop me all the time asking what I’m wearing, and it reminds me, ugh, I should really try harder with my personal style.

Outside of fashion, who are some of your favorite musicians right now?

Kid Cudi just dropped his new album, and he’s honestly one of my all-time favorite artists. I saw him on tour for Man on the Moon, and then again at the Cudi Clubhouse tour a couple of years ago. I’ve been listening to him the entire time he’s been releasing music.

 I love when artists evolve, he has such a special sound.  I love seeing his like mental space evolved through every single one of his albums. From the dark depression, to working through it, to self-discovery, and now to uplifting himself  It’s like so special and unique.

For me, Cudi is a dream person  to either attend a show, [or] collaborate dress.

If you had to describe this SS26 collection in three words, what would they be?

 Time, labor and tactile.