Madame Minimalism. Carven Pre-Fall 2025

June 11, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Carven‘s pre-fall 2025 collection, officially credited to the brand’s studio, is a good-looking transition moment between Louise Trotter’s work at the maison and the brand’s current creative director – and long-time collaborator of Trotter – Mark Thomas. The line-up, offering garments and accessories so wearable and easy-in-approach that it’s hard not to fall in love with their daily allure, is informed by blousy smock tops, wraparound apron shapes and a penchant for fabrics that appear structured to the eye yet soft around the body. One of the dresses with flannel on front and crushed lining in the back reminisces a 1950s couture dress with its strikingly simple, yet chic silhouette. Then you’ve got all the bubbly, t-shirt-inspired dresses and tops, minimal, timeless, versatile. The knits and cashmere shifts are pieces to be grateful for when you need to leave home looking pulled together. Carven became a go-to brand for less is more women who aren’t after The Row’s sophisticated oddness or Phoebe Philo’s contemporary strictness; the brand offers a warmer, cozier approach to minimalism. A madame minimalism.

ED’s SELECTION:

CARVEN Layered Cotton-gauze Gown

CARVEN Tie-detailed Cashmere Cardigan

CARVEN Organza Midi Skirt

CARVEN Louise Leather Clutch

CARVEN Oversized Satin-twill Jacket

CARVEN Wool-twill Mini Dress

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Lovers. Gabriela Hearst Resort 2026

June 9, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Gabriela Hearst makes no-nonsense clothes. Her work is often criticized for lucking “edge” – but then, somebody has to make proper, classic, always-good-looking clothes. And there actually is something edgy about her resort 2026 collection, starring Malgosia Bela, Leon Dame and Alex Olson, photographed by Zoë Ghertner. Some context: the designer is lately obsessed with Tarot, pulling a card each morning and writing down the results. The Lovers card in the Marseille deck gave this collection its radiant color palette: cobalt blue (take a look at the sumptuous cashmere poncho she did in this magnetic hue), with sprinkles of pastel-pink and bottle-green. It also gave her a template for this simple, but evocative lookbook. In the Marseille deck, there are three figures on the Lovers card rather than the usual pair: two women and a man. Hearst did some rearranging, and she’s got one woman and two men in these pictures. A power move. The garments, un-fussy and “un-styled”, are remarkably handsome: think M-65 field jackets, double-face cashmere coats and all-black eveningwear. Looking for edge? There’s the Americana-inspired cow print, a lovely springboard from the understated vibe Hearst’s clothes emanate with.

ED’s SELECTION:

Gabriela Hearst Girard Shirred Dress in Sapphire Aloe Linen

Gabriela Hearst Lacquered Tote Bag in Black & Ivory Patchwork Leather

Gabriela Hearst Lyla Knit Ponco in Dip Dye Bordeaux Multi Welfat Cashmere

Gabriela Hearst Amethyst Stalactite Necklace

Gabriela Hearst Harriet Raffia Mule

Gabriela Hearst Wyn Jacket in Recycled Denim Linen

Gabriela Hearst Fatima Crochet Skirt in Multi Cashmere

Retrospection. Balenciaga Resort 2026

June 5, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Demna is in a retrospective mood – as he should. The visual language that he has created throughout the decade of working at Balenciaga is probably the style that will be the most heavily analyzed by fashion historians when dissecting the fashion of 2010s and 2020s. It’s era-defining, whether you love it or hate it. Resort 2026 isn’t his final collection for the house – it’s the highly-anticipated haute couture line-up in July, where you can expect the least expected – and I’m glad he chose to look back at his biggest Balenciaga hits. From oversized duvet jackets and coats-worn-over-coats to super-mini tea-dresses and something’s-off-looking hoodies, this collection sums up Demna’s ready-to-wear for the maison in the most straightforward, clear way (with a Britney Spears cameo on the prints and the BFRND soundtrack, just to spice things up). In his subversive oeuvre, the designer has an affection for studying archetypes: think art curators, bikers, fetishists, politicians, soccer players. The “Exactitudes“, named after a series by photographer Ari Versluis and writer Ellie Uyttenbroek, who have also worked on this lookbook, inspired Demna’s approach to fashion up to this point. “Working on this collection felt like a homecoming after all these years, a very formidable experience of love for fashion and dressmaking,” Demna said. “It is the end of a wonderful era that I wanted to capture and celebrate by creating the Balenciaga ‘archetypes’ – the people, the silhouettes, the vibes, and the ideas that have all been fundamental in my work for this amazing house.” Come September, a radically new methodology is set to reanimate Gucci. Is Milan ready?

ED’s SELECTION:

Balenciaga Oversized Asymmetric Cotton-twill Trench Coat

Balenciaga Draped Plissé-crepe Midi Dress

Balenciaga Technoclog Rubber Mules

Balenciaga Bow-detailed Layered Lace-trimmed Satin And Jersey Top

Balenciaga Rodeo Large Leather Shoulder Bag

Balenciaga Lace-trimmed Wool Midi Skirt

Balenciaga Bat Cat-eye Acetate Sunglasses

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Her World. Tory Burch Resort 2026

June 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

If you’re reading me, then you know I’m obsessed with Tory Burch‘s renaissance. It seems the fashion industry is catching up, too. Last New York Fashion Week, of all collections that were presented, it was Tory’s line-up that received true acclaim. Burch and her talented design team are studying in-depth what femininity means in the modern world – and elaborate on whether it should be one thing or another. As a result, the brand offers an intriguing outlook that clashes Claire McCardell’s all-American 1940s forms, uptown New York primness (gracefully embraced by @ladiesofmadisonave) and a quirky twist that makes Burch’s designs feel so desirable. For resort 2026, the designer serves a cocktail of her tasteful affections, from unmistakable pencil skirts to delightfully prim cardigans and colorblocked sweaters. A major sensation is stirred by the collection’s biggest novelty: a semi-sheer skirt, layered up, draped and knotted to create a cascading, highly-feminine effect. It comes in delightful tones of red and mustard; the latter is styled with maroon-ish blouse and fish-net tights. It’s a look that balances sophistication, playfulness and sensuality in the most effortless, satisfying way. It’s Tory’s world, and she knows what she’s doing.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Rive Gauche. Saint Laurent Pre-Fall 2025

May 30, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Anthony Vaccarello‘s pre-fall 2025 collection for Saint Laurent serves as a subtle prelude to the winter fashion show we’ve seen back in March. While the ultra-boxy, exaggerated outerwear silhouettes are absent here, we instead get the first hints of bold, saturated colors (Vaccarello really knows how to use orange) and maxi-length skirts that echoed the show’s finale with their gargantuan volumes. The main theme for this lookbook line-up is the year of 1966, a pivotal moment in Yves Saint Laurent history: the launch of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label. The collection couldn’t get more ready-to-wear: Prince of Wales plaid blazers and skirts (Yves’ signature), leather jackets you want to wear (and wear out), boudoir lace slips and fluffy furs. The Left Bank allure is far from dead.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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