Fresh Air. Proenza Schouler SS26

September 11, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

The first debut – out of more than a dozen still ahead – is now behind us. Well, sort of. Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, just stepped into Proenza Schouler, presenting her first dialogue with the brand’s design team. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although Scott’s contribution to this collection must have been rather brief, she managed to inject more vitality into Proenza than Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough did in the past decade. The founders and former creative directors of the once-quintessentially-New-York-cool label struggled for years to revive their brainchild. Instead, they leaned too heavily on the aesthetics of The Row and Bottega Veneta, while borrowing too many cues from Helmut Lang and Phoebe Philo. The result: Proenza Schouler devolved into a generically minimal brand, catering to women who would just as soon shop with the Olsens.

Scott, however, brought a breath of fresh air in the very first moments of the spring–summer 2026 presentation. What struck me most were the leather laser-cut pieces – especially a t-shirt styled with ochre briefs and mint-green, over-the-knee boots crafted from a sheer, organza-like material. The floral prints exploded like vibrant fireworks, while a bright orange turtleneck sweater radiated cool.

In some ways, you could still catch glimpses of the old Proenza Schouler – colorful, bold, and rooted in an experimental play with layers and textures. I only wish the collection felt more fully resolved; but then again, this wasn’t a true debut, more of a first taste of what’s still to come.

One thing is certain: Scott needs to define exactly who the Proenza Schouler woman is.

ED’s SELECTION:

Proenza Schouler Ramona Belted Suede Coat

Proenza Schouler Track Paneled Suede Sneakers

Proenza Schouler Yves Asymmetric Fringed Knitted Top

Proenza Schouler Yves Asymmetric Fringed Striped Knitted Maxi Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

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.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

She Knows. Maryam Nassir Zadeh AW25

August 9, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Maryam Nassir Zadeh has just released her autumn–winter 2025 lookbook, and it instantly makes you start thinking about September dressing and all its layering-perfect charms. Maryam is one of those instinctive designers who effortlessly create not fleeting trends, but new “ways” of dressing. The New York–based designer offers pieces as simple yet utterly chic as a mini fur scarf – designed for both women and men – tied loosely around the neck and styled nonchalantly with oversized suits or bubblegum-pink blousons. There’s a lot of tying in this collection: from a cummerbund-shaped, bi-color belt cinched over pleated trousers to a strapped bonnet – its silhouette a nostalgic nod to 1920s headwear – Nassir Zadeh treats accessories as objects to play with. Even the fringed-belt-slash-skirt can be worn with ease beneath a teddy-bear jacket and over a pair of warm tights. She just knows.

GET THE LOOK:

Pologeorgis Lamb Shearling Fur Scarf

TOTEME Faux Fur Scarf

Saint Laurent Ribbon Faux Fur Scarf

Gorski Select Lamb Pull-Through Scarf

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

Part Of Me. JW Anderson Resort 2026

August 1, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Come September, an utterly new iteration of JW Anderson will materialize. With a thoroughly-considered decision of stopping runway shows and fully rebrand brick-and-mortar shops (and open new ones across Milan, New York and London), Jonathan Anderson is about to revolutionize the way we think about fashion brands. “It’s going to be about: this is how I live. This is my world, what I collect, that’s part of me.” The designer – who’s now leading Dior – has created, as he likes to call it, a “blunt” environment where his own clothes – and others that are locally sourced – will sit alongside a plethora of things such as traditional Irish tea-towels, a Welsh blanket, hand-crafted stick chairs, a tiny still life by Gwen John, a set of restored vintage garden tools (instant must-have!), and even a selection of crotcheted, very British bird keyring charms. The stores will be restocked according to demand, and will of course offer all-time JW Anderson classics: argyle knits, cargo pants, witty denim, cheeky accessories. They are modeled in the latest lookbook by creatives the designer collaborates with and admires a lot: Luca Guadagnino, Bella Freud, Anthea Hamilton, Ben Wishaw and Pol Anglada, to name just a few. Anderson’s brave, bold, new IRL shop strategy will hopefully start a new wave of love and appreciation of brick-and-mortar experiences. Remember concept stores? They might be back very soon.

ED’s SELECTION:

JW Anderson Embellished Suede Loafers

JW Anderson Teacup Leather-trimmed Crocheted Bag Charm

JW Anderson Rugby Cotton-jersey Polo Shirt

JW Anderson Cotton-canvas Jacket

JW Anderson Pleated Printed Twill Mini Skirt

JW Anderson Victoria Sponge Resin Clutch

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

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.