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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Frivolous. Chloé Resort 2026

July 11, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Chemena Kamali‘s Chloé has been vintage-inspired and infused with nostalgia since her debut collection, but it seems the designer is letting some more frivolity to her work. The Chloé girl is ultimately a fun girl: striding the streets of Paris in clogs (a reference to Phoebe Philo’s tenure at the brand), swirling and dancing in flou silks and floating dresses, looking like a nonchalant, mysterious character straight out of a Guy Bourdin photograph. Immersing herself in early ’80s movies, like Brian de Palma’s thriller “Dressed to Kill” and Bette Gordon’s “Variety”, Kamali isn’t exactly interested in the (very exhausted) notion of power-dressing, but rather blending the era’s seemingly-naïve femininity with its by-gone, chic attitude. Bold and quirky shades of cobalt and aquamarine go in pair with sensual lace trims and the irresistibly joyful flamingo motif. Oui, oui, oui.

ED’s SELECTION:

Chloé Lace-trimmed Silk-jacquard Camisole

Chloé Frayed High-rise Flared Jeans

Chloé Eve Leather Over-the-knee Boots

Chloé Bracelet Embellished Suede And Snake-effect Leather Shoulder Bag

Chloé Ruffled Floral-print Cotton-voile Mini Dress

Chloé Button-embellished Wool-blend Bouclé Mini Skirt

Chloé Kick Suede, Mesh And Leather High-top Sneakers

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Brut. Maison Margiela AW25 Haute Couture

July 10, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Couture is the most archaic branch of fashion sensu lato, and this time around I really wondered if it shouldn’t be put to sleep – and wake up only when it has something meaningful to say again. Or at least when a prince – a new, revolutionary talent – emerges and gives it a kiss of life.

Glenn Martens certainly isn’t that prince. I’ve never been a number one Y/Project fan, and his Diesel isn’t my cup of tea either. So when the news broke that he’s the new creative director of Maison Margiela, you can imagine I wasn’t overly thrilled. After seeing his debut artisanal collection yesterday, all I thought was: damn, we’ve been really blessed to see John Galliano’s final act over a year ago (and we just didn’t deserve it).

To me, Martin Margiela isn’t just the ultimate fashion genius – but also a designer of silence. It took years for Galliano to get into that “silence”. Martens, who’s from a generation that studied Margiela at school, and whose work has been heavily influenced by Margiela since day one, is a “loud” designer. As in “pop-loud”.

That says a lot about why his first collection for the house lacked the soul-touching subtlety of Martin – or Galliano – and instead relied heavily on straightforward references, such as the masks. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sweet, Sweet Home. Celine SS26

July 7, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s no longer about appointing a big, legendary name – or, conversely, a total newcomer – to lead a fashion house. In Paris, two striking examples of homecoming designers are taking the industry by storm. First came Chemena Kamali, returning to Chloé after years away and revitalizing it into every girl’s dream once again. Then came Michael Rider, making his comeback at Celine. His debut yesterday felt like a sweet reawakening.

It might be pure coincidence that both designers once worked under Phoebe Philo, who, back in the day, led these two Parisian brands. Or maybe not.

Now, back to Rider and his debut – it awakened something in me. Feelings and emotions I used to experience every season when Celine was still Céline came rushing back. That certain unexplainable spark – one Philo has yet to fully rediscover at her namesake brand (don’t get me wrong – I love it, stan it, and support it wholeheartedly, but you know what I mean??). After the dull, pale, underfed, and frankly uninspired Middle Ages of Hedi Slimane’s reign at Celine, Rider’s confident, bold, and vibrant entrance just feels so right.

The American designer – who cut his teeth at Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga, then with Phoebe Philo at Céline (one of his greatest hits was the Yves Klein dress from spring-summer 2017, and a photo of him during the fitting is circulating on social media), and later as creative director at Ralph Lauren – very cleverly distilled Celine’s legacy into a single collection and made it feel entirely his own… READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collages 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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