Art lovers attending New York Fashion Week might notice reference to a familiar figure in Jason Wu‘s Spring 2026 collection. For the line, Wu collaborated with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in honor of the anniversary of the late artist’s 100th birthday.
“Collage”, as the collection is called, draws on ten works that incorporate fabric from the foundation’s holdings. To do so, Wu was granted rare access to closely study the artist’s work, with a particular focus on pieces from the “Hoarfrost” series (1974–76) of transferred and collaged images on translucent fabric and Airport Suite (1974), a collection of layered prints on fabric.
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Rauschenberg had a deep interest in textiles and garments, which began in high school and surfaced throughout his career. In 1954, he started employing clothing in his Red Paintings (1953–54) and Combines (1954–64), which straddled the line between painting and sculpture with elements of both mediums. Rauschenberg later designed costumes for choreographers Trisha Brown and Merce Cunningham.
“The Centennial invites us to revisit Rauschenberg’s work through the eyes of our time, and working with Jason has been an inspiring way to do just that,” Courtney J. Martin, executive director of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation said in a statement “Jason approaches design with the same curiosity and openness to possibility that defined Rauschenberg’s practice. Rauschenberg’s groundbreaking use of fabric, in both his visual art and his celebrated costume designs, embodied his belief that materials carry meaning and potential. By bringing that radical approach into dialogue with Jason’s contemporary vision, ‘COLLAGE’ extends this legacy across generations, reminding us that art and fashion alike can be catalysts for reinvention, connection, and exchange.”
This is not the first time Wu has referenced visual art in his designs. His Spring 2019 collection, for example, was inspired by the expressive forms of Taiwanese calligrapher Tong Yang-Tze, and his Fall 2021 collection added the narrative detail and whimsy present in British illustrator Arthur Rackham’s work.
On his Rauschenberg–inspired collection, Wu said in a statement, “It has been a dream come true working with the Rauschenberg Foundation and having access to his incredible body of work. This collection, themed ‘COLLAGE,’ is my tribute to Mr. Rauschenberg’s work and my personal journey as an immigrant who collects what seem disparate references into my creations. In that sense, there is a very direct link to the legacy and mythology of Robert Rauschenberg.”
On Sunday, September 14, the collection will be presented alongside a major piece by Rauschenberg. In February 2026, the line will be available for purchase via the studio’s global retail partners.
The exhibition “Robert Rauschenberg: Fabric Works of the 1970s” opens at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, on September 19.