Despite growing up in Canada, Greta Constantine designer Kirk Pickersgill never felt disconnected from his Jamaican heritage. “My parents always made a habit of bringing us back to Jamaica, so we could spend time with our family and maintain our culture,” he said. On those trips, he often admired the music and bright colors—two touch points that ended up inspiring his new spring 2026 collection. “In Jamaican households, it’s all about the music—and the colors of the Jamaican flag,” he said.
His love letter to Jamaica came through in both subtle and blatant ways. Most obviously, Pickersgill aimed to find different ways to incorporate shades of black, green and gold—the Jamaican flag colors—into his signature red carpet gowns. (The designer had quite the Emmys night last night: his dresses were worn by Kathy Bates and Malin Akerman.) His gala-worthy creations included a strapless mikado gown in bright green, complete with a clean white trim. A black floor-length, sweetheart-neckline gown featured a mesh skirt with black embroidery—for just a dash of skin.
Some of the formal looks also drew inspiration from Pickersgill’s time on Jamaican beaches. A sweet, strapless cocktail gown had black shimmering palettes all over it—a nod to his collection of beach shells from Jamaica. A dramatic ruffle-shouldered gown in coral highlighted his love of snorkeling, and a three-dimensional ruffled white gown, covered in mounds of ruffles, evoked the shape of jellyfish.
For a designer known for opulence and drama, there were clear attempts at simplifying things this season—and expanding outside of the box, too. The mossy green suit—all made on mesh with textural embroidery—served as a tribute to Bob Marley. “He had that rock and roll attitude in him,” said Pickersgill of the tailored silhouette. “I tried to keep things more simple, and play with textures. Jamaicans care more about color and texture—and the way people feel in the clothes.” His most on-the-nose piece, meanwhile, was a red leather top with the word “Jamaica” on it: It served as a recreation of Jamaica’s most famous poster, starring Sintra Bronte in a red T-shirt. “It’s an iconic image from the ’70s,” said Pickersgill. “Every Jamaican has it in their house.”
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