With the  preppiness of Americana, the boldness of rock ‘n’ roll, the drama of Victoriana and the opulence of chinoiserie, the Alice + Olivia Fall 2018 ad campaign features an eclectic pattern play and an attitude.

Women’s education and the empowerment serves as inspiration for Alice + Olivia’s Fall 2018 collection. Line founder Stacey Bendet soon explained that the education she was referring to was one of the history of revolutions — in which case, the anti-establishment anthem was particularly on point.

“I’ve been so passionate about the world right now — equal rights, equal pay, women’s reproductive rights — and I wanted to create something that allowed women to feel inspired but also empowered,” Bendet said. “I also wanted to look back and reflect on the past, to see that you can change the future. When we look back at the suffrage movement and other revolutions, we see that we really can make a difference.”

For Bendet, the idea of empowerment through knowledge manifested in the idea of AO University, where courses included the brief and stylish histories of the American and French revolutions; the 19th century ladies of Langham Place Group, who campaigned on behalf of a variety of women’s issues; and Murasaki Shibiku, the 11th century novelist who penned The Tale of Genji.

Watch behind the scenes of the Alice + Olivia Fall 2018 campaign.