Art

Open Mind. Louis Vuitton AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

It seems to me that Nicolas Ghesquière has rediscovered a sense of joy in making fashion. That wasn’t always so evident in his 1980s-heavy collections, but his latest Louis Vuitton outing feels like the work of an open mind. It brings together three distinct “energies,” vividly clashing yet glued by a kind of transcendental, almost shroom-like aura.

First, there is a collage-like engagement with global cultures. Cultural appropriation is one thing, but in the past decade, a growing fear of being called out – or cancelled – for drawing on other traditions has made fashion increasingly cautious about referencing the world’s diverse beauty. So it feels refreshing to see Ghesquière approach Turkish kepeneks, Mongolian steppe deels, and Nepalese topi hats with such confidence, but also with respect. He manages to celebrate these traditions by sublimating their magnificence, never reducing them to caricature.

The second “energy” sees Nicolas returning to his Balenciaga years – autumn/winter 2002, to be precise – reviving a sense of generous, bounty fluidity in his dresses. Those sent down the Louis Vuitton runway feel effortless, and cool. Words that didn’t always roll off the tongue when considering his recent collections.

And the third? For the first time in over a decade at the house, Ghesquière seems to subtly nod to Marc Jacobs – not in any literal sense, but in his attitude toward fashion. There’s wit, a sense of play, a tongue-in-cheek irreverence. A cone-shaped hat paired with a voluminous bomber jacket and cropped trousers, or a fabulously cluttered blazer with boxy shoulders, recalls Jacobs’s years at Vuitton, when each show existed as a self-contained fantasy.

That newly found, almost defiant I-don’t-give-a-fuck-what-anyone-thinks spirit suits Ghesquière well. It might also explain why the collection didn’t resonate with everyone. After all, people tend to resent it when someone is having just a little too much fun. Human nature!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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The Power of Strangeness. Jean Paul Gaultier AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Duran Lantink has managed to turn his signature strangeness into a mischievous force at Jean Paul Gaultier. His inflated bodies, extraterrestrial protrusions, and distorted silhouettes no longer read as one-off shock tactics, but rather as part of a broader vision for what the brand can become.

To truly appreciate it, you have to momentarily set aside everything you think you know about Gaultier and allow yourself to engage with Lantink’s methodology of seeing the bod – one that leans more toward the abstract than the figurative. He drew inspiration from the image of Marlene Dietrich holding a whip, which sparked the idea of “Madame Masculinity.” And when you think about it, is there anything more JPG?

Where Gaultier once disrupted the anatomical canon through hyper-corsetry, Lantink does so with conical shoulder lines and padded protuberances. There is a distinctly commanding presence in these constructed, almost alien postures. The former delighted in reworking the tropes of historical dress, and the latter pushes panniered forms to new extremes, creating gowns that appear to float through space, as if guided by an invisible puppeteer.

Lantink’s vision for the brand may not resonate with everyone, but it’s worth remembering that Gaultier himself was once scorned – and misunderstood – by critics. Today, he is a legend. Time will tell whether Duran’s ideas are ahead of their time.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Father, I’ve Sinned! Valentino AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Michele has added spice – and flame – to his Valentino, and it has been working particularly well lately. First came his toned-down, poetic spring collection, the only show of the season that truly approached the dread of a world on the brink of WWIII. Then followed his vivacious sophomore couture collection, presented just over a week after Valentino Garavani’s passing, which made the fashion heavens rave. And now, the autumn–winter 2026 lineup, presented not in the usual Paris but in Rome, the brand’s home, core, hot-red heart.

This was Valentino through and through, yet captured through Michele’s new perspective. It is rich and full, yes, but he somehow manages to express that opulence in a clean, clear way (forget the heaviness of his Gucci days). His clothes no longer look as if they have been pulled straight from a vintage store or a forgotten attic. The dramatic glamour is still there, but it is glitched – awkwardly so – making it far more intriguing.

Bow-tied belts cinched full-length furs; color-blocked pleated tunics; lace dresses with butterfly-wing-shaped skirts. It is Rome, after all, so there is an inherent tension between the ecclesiastical and the regal, and the naughty, decadent, Fellini-esque spirit of the city. These women go to church on Sunday – but they as easily live a full-on, hedonistic “La Grande Bellezza” life (a dialogue Demna attempted to spark with his Gucci runway debut, but, to me, failed miserably). One aspect that could perhaps be reconsidered is the casting. Adding a few more mature faces would make the collection feel even more vivid and charismatic, as some of the barely twenty-year-old models – likely exhausted by the fashion month marathon – appeared somewhat pale.

ED’s SELECTION:


Valentino Garavani Fetishique 105 Metallic Leather Slingback Sandals



Valentino Garavani Cropped Satin-trimmed Woven Blazer



Valentino Garavani Velvet-trimmed Satin-crepe Maxi Skirt



Valentino Garavani Bowow 25 Suede-trimmed Leopard-print Calf Hair Pumps



Valentino Garavani Bow-embellished Ribbed Cotton-blend And Wool And Silk-blend Crepe Jacket



Valentino Garavani Viva Superstar Medium Leopard-print Calf Hair Shoulder Bag

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Earthy Modesty. Miu Miu AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

The earthy, grounded modesty (and honesty) of Miu Miu’s autumn–winter 2026 collection was exactly what was needed on the last day of Paris Fashion Week. Miuccia Prada stripped her Miu girl (and boy) of anything superfluous. Knee-length pencil skirts and vintage-coded camisoles in peachy shades felt beautifully realistic when paired with trapper hats – somewhat primal, especially given the moss and twigs scattered underfoot along the runway. Fur-lined jackets, cropped nylon anoraks, and crude leathers were utilitarian in form, yet they oozed a palpable sense of humanity (something Pierpaolo Piccioli seemed eager to capture in his Balenciaga collection, though he advanced little beyond a lengthy press release). Chloë Sevigny, who modeled for Miu Miu more than three decades ago, appeared on the runway in a jacket-and-dress set with furry hems that looked like a fungi-esque organism creeping across the garment. It read as Miuccia’scall for peace between humans and nature. And the 1920s-inspired flapper dresses – embroidered, yes, but far more restrained than is typical for Miu Miu – worn in the finale by Gemma Ward, Kristen McMenamy, and Gillian Anderson? A small, poignant pinch of innocence in our being in this world.

ED’s SELECTION:


Miu Miu Leather Casual Derby Loafers



Miu Miu Aventure Lambskin Leather Shoulder Bag



Miu Miu Allacciate Leather Buckle Low-Top Sneakers



Miu Miu Striped Oversized Long-Sleeve T-Shirt



Miu Miu Antic Buckle Distressed Leather Knee-High Boots

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Clothes To Live A Life In. Celine AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Michael Rider’s autumn–winter 2026 line-up at Celine is ultimately the season-defining collection. Rider – who has a long history with the brand, having worked there during Phoebe Philo’s tenure – knows exactly what draws people to it: not wardrobe solutions, but choices through which one can express oneself in an easy, consciously “not trendy” way.

His latest collection radiates a warmth that only clothes meant to live a life in can emanate – so effortlessly, so honestly. Everything clicks, from the Diane Keaton–esque sporty elegance to the image direction meticulously shaped by Rider’s team. What I appreciate most about the collection is that it conveys precisely the same great feeling as the joint work of Philo and Rider more than a decade ago: the comfort of a postcard-printed blanket carried like a stole; the perfectly weighted crêpe used for a poncho-like cloak (remember Céline Spring–Summer 2013? The echoes of those eternally chic black dresses are right here); animal-printed coats that are just a bit too big, as if lifted straight from your grandmother’s wardrobe; dresses and suits with subtly tweaked proportions, making the case that chic often lies in the slightly odd detail that transforms an otherwise perfectly fine garment.

And then there are the accessories: bow-wrapped scarves that made the men’s silhouette slender and delightfully flamboyant, and angel-like feathers tucked into the hair that simply felt right in the moment. But what strikes me most about the new Celine is how well defined it is – somewhat outside the current aesthetic cycle – and, above all, the way it inspires you to dress differently, and to do so with affection.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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