Exuberant. Christopher John Rogers AW25

February 7, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

New York Fashion Week kicked off with an exuberant, yet mature return of Christopher John Rogers to the runway. He’s got a brilliant colorist sensibility – and knows how to serve beautiful, eye-catching eveningwear. Fitted to the upper thighs and blossoming below them into a full skirt, the striped dress that opened the show mixed chartreuse, burgundy, and coral. The unlikeliness of the combination made it all the more striking, and he returned to that formula for other looks as the show progressed. Stripes, his signature, played a starring role – on his knits and silk taffeta party dresses, and on trenches stitched with rows of different grosgrain ribbons at their hems. Each look from this runway made sense – and can be easily imagined on the streets and events, not only in New York.

ED’s SELECTION:

Christopher John Rogers Bow-embellished Off-the-shoulder Twill Top

Christopher John Rogers Silk And Wool-blend Satin Barrel-leg Cargo Pants

Christopher John Rogers Strapless Grosgrain And Gathered Satin-trimmed Canvas Gow

Christopher John Rogers Oversized Striped Brushed Wool Sweater

Christopher John Rogers Striped Silk-faille Gown

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Heartthrob Appeal. ERL AW25

February 7, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

For ERL‘s autumn-winter 2025, Eli Russell Linnetz dialed down on the usual theatrics, and came up with a collection for the Cooper Kochs of the world. By that I mean the guys with naturally-born, red-carpet-heartthrob swagger that can equally pull off a ready-for-Gstaad ski-look or a Giorgio Armani luncheon in a perfectly-cut jacket and flared denim pants. The ultimate highlight coming from the Venice Beach-based designer? The menswear accessory that’s hopefully having a grand return: the cummerbund. He styled it over a black shirt and oversized pleated pants a black shirt, and finished the look with a cocoon-shaped duvet jacket. I like this new direction at ERL.

ED’s SELECTION:

ERL Zebra-Print Quilted Puffer Jacket

ERL Donegal Polo Sweater

ERL Multi-Logo Intarsia Sweater

ERL Silk-Wool Swirl Knit Hoodie

ERL Bicolor Swirl Hoodie

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Fashion. Marc Jacobs SS25

February 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Oh, Marc. Thank you for reminding us all about the absolute joy of fashion.

With his pre-NYFW, less is more-production show, the designer sparks bold, unashamed happiness. Bubbly silhouettes. Cropped proportions. Big sequins. Bigger than life ball-dresses and teenie-tiny cardigans. Lego colors. This is fashion that doesn’t take itself seriously – but is far from being non-sense. Inspired with legendary women, from Rei Kawakubo to Queen of Hearts, this is Marc Jacobs’ ode to courage, beauty and uncompromising hope in better tomorrow.

“With precious freedom we dream and imagine without limitation… not to escape from reality but to help navigate, understand, and confront it, exploring through curiosity, conviction, compassion, and love.”

Thank you.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Goth & Fit. Rick Owens AW25

February 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

This season’s Rick Owens man is both goth and fit. He will show off his muscular torso while wearing a crop-top with padded, Nosferatu-sih shoulders. Tyron Dylan, Rick’s muse, looked like the yassified version of Count Orlock. The elongated, supernatural look was omnipresent in the autumn-winter 2025 collection. This time, the designer was interested in the idea of essentials. Cropped shearling sweaters and coats in black were cut up to the base of the rib cage, while double-face wool caftans in cream were cut down to the knee. Skimpy wide-leg shorts were (sometimes) made secure with thermal long johns of a type Owens only became an evangelical fan of after moving from California to Europe. “It’s about, How can I get rid of stuff and make the stuff that I really need as special as possible?’ And that is a good exercise when thinking about making clothes in the world the way it is today.” It was also a good exercise in showing clothes that, once acquired, you’d wish never to be parted from.

ED’s SELECTION:

Rick Owens Satin Wide-leg Cargo Pants

Rick Owens Drain T Paneled Cotton-jersey And Crepe De Chine Top

Rick Owens x Moncler Appliquéd Wool And Cashmere-blend Balaclava

Rick Owens Cropped Bleached Brushed-cotton Bomber Jacket

Rick Owens x Converse Drkshdw Dbl Drkstar Canvas High-top Sneakers

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Soldiers Of Love. Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus AW25

February 2, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

For the second season in a row, I had the unbelievably beautiful experience of seeing the Comme Des Garçons collection IRL, at the brand’s showroom near Place Vendome in Paris. It’s always quite a striking contrast: first you’ve got to cross all the bling-bling flagships, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, and then you suddenly immerse into the world of Comme. And if you’re lucky, Rei Kawakubo, the mastermind creative and founder of the brand, stands there, just behind the glass wall of her office, keeping her finger pretty much everything this company stands for. Really, not many 82-year old designers of her status are that present in their brands. Actually, not many designers of any age are THAT present in their brands.

Visiting the Comme Des Garçons showroom lets you truly understand Kawakubo’s clothes. Of course, attending the label’s fashion show is a dream, ranked high up in my wishlist of things to do. But at the showroom, you can see the garments upclose, feel their emotional deepness, and be struck by their extraordinary craftsmanship. Sharing the space with the designer herself adds a TRUE Benjamin-esque aura to it, too.

The autumn-winter 2025 collection from the menswear Homme Plus line had a loud, clear statement: “To hell with war”. Confronting the reality that young boys and men are being called up for army service, being sent to kill or be killed by countries across the world, can easily fall dumb-flat in case of fashion. But not when Kawakubo does it, so poignantly and movingly. And in any case, her position was straightforward: her young Comme soldiers are peaceniks. Their metal hats self-decorated with flowers or wrapped in fancy, vintage fabrics felt naive, but in a heart-warming, hopeful way. In their deconstructed field jackets and brass-buttoned army officer’s uniforms, they were “soldiers of love”, as Sade once sang.

Rebel and resist. For love, beauty and freedom. Rei, you’re a force.