For Giorgio. Soshiotsuki SS26

September 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

The news of Giorgio Armani’s passing is heartbreaking. What lifts my spirit, however, is knowing that his legacy – a body of work spanning five decades – will live on forever, especially in the work of younger generations of designers who have studied Armani since their teens.

*Giorgio Armani photographed by Juergen Teller for System Magazine.*

It must be some astro-numerological coincidence that yesterday Soshi Otsuki won the LVMH Prize. His Tokyo-based label, Soshiotsuki, is rooted in tailoring – one inspired by the sartorial craftsmanship of the 1980s, but filtered through a distinctly Japanese perspective. His suits, elegantly draping the body – always smooth yet refined – would surely make Mr. Armani proud.

In his delightful spring–summer 2026 collection, Otsuki mesmerizes and intrigues with nearly invisible details that make all the difference. For instance, extra fabric is built into the inside placket of a shirt to suggest a tucked-in necktie, which could be hidden or revealed depending on how it was buttoned. Deadstock kimono silk was repurposed into button-up shirts, while 1980s cotton-washi fabric was used for much of the tailoring – recalling the glamour and prosperity of Japan’s Bubble Era, a moment in time the designer enjoys riffing on.

What’s fascinating about Soshiotsuki is that the clothes don’t feel “vintage,” but utterly contemporary – and in a strikingly handsome way. That sensibility resonates with the final collections Giorgio Armani presented in recent Milan Fashion Weeks, which we were fortunate enough to witness.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Poison Ivy. ERL SS26

July 28, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Eli Russell Linnetz just knows what’s right in the moment. Actually, he creates the moment. Fashion’s current obsession with vintage American prep? ERL did that seasons ago, and created a contemporary playbook dedicated to that trope. Flip-flops? The shoe of the season in the Californian designer’s hands became a whole new statement. Now, Linnetz is ready to explore codes of classical menswear and (poisonous) masculinity. Argyle sweaters, cotton boxers, and grandpa-style knits all got the ERL treatment for spring-summer 2026, with deliberate proportion updates (tapering at the waist, tight at the biceps, and stretched across the chest). The relaxed tailoring could easily be an object of Aldo Fallai’s Giorgio Armani campaigns in the 1980s. But through Linnetz’s lens – literally, because he shoots all the ERL visuals – you can perceive something slightly disturbing, yet absolutely elusive about Christian and Ivy’s, the look-book’s heroes, dynamic. Christian is the king of campus, and Ivy would give anything to be around him – or be him, rather, in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” kind of way. Linnetz’s story follows Ivy as he embeds himself into Christian’s inner circle, with his admiration turning sour and then poisonous, subsequently culminating in an act of violence. Now imagine giving Eli Russell an opportunity to not only design costumes, but also direct a feature film. Cooper Koch could easily be the lead act.

ED’s SELECTION:

ERL Men’s Striped Jersey T-Shirt

ERL Men’s Indiana Baggy Jeans

ERL Cropped Ribbed-knit Cardigan

COS Eva Flip Flops

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Church. Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria 2025

July 17, 2025March 17, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s been years since I wrote about a Dolce & Gabbana show. But this one caught my attention for all the right – and maybe not so right – reasons.

The haute couture season doesn’t really end until Dolce & Gabbana says the last word with its opulent, over-the-top alta moda shows (there are three of them: for jewellery, womenswear and menswear). They are presented not in Paris, but in Italy – that explains why it’s off the official couture schedule.

Most of the time I don’t engage with what contemporary Dolce & Gabbana does. Yet I have a sentiment for old Dolce & Gabbana, especially from the 1980s, 1990s, when the designers dissected the codes of Italianity and created an entire visual lexicon that was very rawn and undiluted. And I must admit that the brand’s latest Alta Sartoria collection – which goes for menswear couture – presented not just anywhere in Rome, but at the steps of Castel San’Angelo – and with IRL bishops in attendance – is really something worth analyzing. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Lived-In Quality. Aubero SS26

July 5, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Ending the spring-summer 2026 menswear coverage on a high note: my top favorite (next to Prada) collection of the season coming from Aubero. Why I’m ranking it this high? It’s because it truly resonates with me, wardrobe-wise. The emerging American brand, lead by California-native Julian Louie, and its latest collection are beautifully autobiographical – yet somehow feel like home to an outsider who’s just getting to know Aubero. There’s a highly-appealing, lived-in quality to those over-sized flannel shirts, tailored “cargo” pants, and durable trench coats with delightful signs of patina. And there’s also something irresistibly sensual about the sleeveless, wrinkled-taffeta top-dress with confident open-back. Louie’s work is both nostalgic and forward-looking; his approach to material – “material festish” as he calls it, encapsulated in frayed antique textiles or scraps from past collections under mesh in one-of-a-kind coats or trousers – feels new, not Bode-ish as in case of many other new brands coming from the U.S.. Much of this collection relies on Louie’s mental souvenirs. The skirtlike wraps are a nod to the surfers he would see in Santa Cruz changing by their trucks, a clutched towel on their waists as they slipped out of wetsuits. I’m especially in awe of the all-white look consisting of a voluminous shirt and shorts with shiny finish topped over the lightweight pants. Worn with flip-flops, this look is both seductive and absolutely cool. Looking forward to more of Louie’s work.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sublime. Giorgio Armani SS26

July 5, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

“It seems that the new generations of designers are becoming passionate about my work, and I must say that this is a source of pride for me because it means that I can speak to young creatives who probably weren’t even born in the ’90s. This also means that the authenticity that I have always put into what I do is still reflected today,” Giorgio Armani mused after his spring-summer 2026 menswear show. As his brand celebrates 50th anniversary this year, there’s literally nothing more valuable for a designer who created such monumental heritage as being relevant and appreciated after all those decades. Italian menswear and womenswear owe a lot to Armani, and it’s good to see him being very rightfully embraced and applauded. The latest collection coming from the maestro was sublimely Giorgio, through the filter of Pantelleria, the volcanic island where he has summered for years. Matte black leather used in outerwear and everyday suiting echoed the island’s raw stone landscape, while a wide palette of marine blues and bougainvillea purples and pinks referred to the sights of Mediterranean nature that enchant the designer every single time he steps on the elusive, distant island. Dreamy and undeniably handsome were the quilted-collar jacket and double-zip gilet looks in treated linen that followed the North-African-inspired palm motif. Also especially strong were the accessories, running from wave-shaped woven rattan shoes to beautifully canvas satchels. Long live Giorgio. And kudos to Leo Dell’Orco, the long-time head of Armani’s men’s style office.