Jamaican-born designer Rachel Scott took centre stage at New York Fashion Week with the presentation of her Diotima Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear collection, capping off a busy week that also saw her debut work as creative director of Proenza Schouler.
Scott showcased her label Diotima on February 15 in New York City, drawing attention from across the fashion world and the Caribbean diaspora. Founded in 2021, the brand has developed a loyal following for its wearable craft and sensual designs that blend Jamaican, Caribbean and European influences.
Born in Kingston and trained in Milan before working in New York for 16 years, Scott established Diotima with a focus on handcrafted pieces rooted in cultural heritage and contemporary elegance. Her latest collection, titled Femme Cheval, featured 34 looks inspired by late Cuban artist Wifredo Lam and explored themes of identity, resilience and self-definition.
In the show notes, Scott said the collection reflects a woman’s life marked by radiance, force and radical self-definition. She added that it takes shape in a political and cultural moment defined by exhaustion and division, where resilience, identity and memory become acts of resistance.
The presentation included a collaboration with Refugee Atelier, a New York-based non-profit arts organisation, and showcased a range of textures and techniques, including fine-gauge merino knit, hand-applied organza intarsia, gobelin jacquard and digital prints on wool-silk canvas. Standout pieces included a long grey buttoned dress, a black sparkly maxi dress and a sleeveless bodycon maxi.
The show, staged at 111 Broadway in Manhattan, drew a high-profile audience including Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, First Lady of New York Rama Duwaji, designer Christopher John Rogers, Grammy-winning singer Monica and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
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Three Jamaican models — Naki Depass, Tami Williams and Romae Gordon — were featured prominently on the runway.
Scott cemented her place in the global fashion industry after winning major honours from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, including Emerging Designer of the Year in 2023 and American Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2024. She also unveiled her debut collection for Proenza Schouler, further expanding her influence on the international fashion scene.
