Happiness is a Butterfly. Chanel AW26

March 13, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s easy to disregard Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel if you judge it only by the photos on your phone. But after seeing his debut collection live last week in Paris as it arrived in the flagship boutiques – and witnessing the shopping frenzy that seemed to grip everyone there (I tell you, people were buying as if there were no tomorrow!) – I had a eureka moment. Blazy’s clothes and accessories, when touched, tried on, and worn, are so easygoing and full of optimism that it’s impossible not to fall for their charming allure. They instantly uplift the mood with their wit and effortlessness, which are woven into every painstaking detail.

With those joyful sensations in mind, I watched Matthieu’s sophomore ready-to-wear collection without the shades of skepticism that accompanied me six months ago, but with pure thrill. Yes, some elements of the collection – like tweed jackets turned into work-jacket proportions, or the 1920s-tinged dropped waists and flapper-esque ease – repeat motifs from Blazy’s first outing for the house, only subtly tweaked. But to fully shape an idea in the collective consciousness, you have to make sure it lands. The designer is building a new era – and with it, new codes.

Not that the collection lacked novelty. Some of the artisanal details made me gasp: skirt suits with “action painting” stitching; embroidered slip dresses so feather-light they were nearly transcendental in appearance; and, of course, the intricate clashes of textures, embellishments, and embroideries that made the garments look rich in substance yet somehow breezy and unpretentious. The final black dress, with its exposed low back punctuated by a camellia suspended between the shoulder blades, was simply a dream.

Backstage, Blazy quoted an observation that Chanel made to the French newspaper Le Figaro in the 1950s: “We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly, because the butterfly doesn’t go to the market and the caterpillar doesn’t go to the ball.” Matthieu’s butterfly is certainly out of its chrysalis, flying high above us all, into the moonlight.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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American in Paris. Polo Ralph Lauren AW26

March 7, 2026March 6, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Few could have predicted that Polo Ralph Lauren would storm Paris Fashion Week and emerge as one of its breakout stars. Karen Brown Brody, senior brand creative director for women’s Polo, staged an intimate presentation of her latest collection, reminding us just how important – and endlessly inspiring – Ralph Lauren remains, far beyond the United States. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

Polo Ralph Lauren Patchwork Wool-blend Coat

Polo Ralph Lauren Belted Jacquard-knit Wool-blend Cardigan

Polo Ralph Lauren Oversized Checked Wool-blend Shirt Jacket

Polo Ralph Lauren Cotton-corduroy Vest

Polo Ralph Lauren Embroidered Cotton-gabardine Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Embrace. Rick Owens AW26

March 7, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Rick Owens’s ritualistic processions and towering, otherworldly silhouettes have become a piercing aperture in the midst of the Paris shows – one that entrances the viewer and draws you deeper and deeper with every season. Some say the designer is increasingly repeating himself, but I prefer to see it as a process of perfecting. His black gowns are leaner and more elongated than usual; the collars of the jackets reach a totemic monumentality; wrap-around dresses and outerwear become shelters.

The fact that Marlene Dietrich served as Owens’s muse this season adds another layer. He said he admired the arc of her life – from societal provocateur to wartime hero (the actress volunteered for USO tours, traveling to Algeria and across Europe to sing for the troops) and, later, to a steely cabaret legend. Dietrich’s iconic swansdown jacket inspired Owens’s spectacular goat-hair coats, whose monumental proportions engulf the wearer in a powerful embrace.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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New Frontiers. Chloé AW26

March 6, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

At Chloé, Chemena Kamali delivered her best – and perhaps most daring – collection to date. The designer, who captured the hearts of women around the world with her revival of bohemian spirit, has now tweaked her Chloé girl, taking her somewhere less expected. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

Chloé Eve Suede Over-the-knee Boots

Chloé Paneled Leather Jacket

Chloé Tiered Organic Silk-mousseline Maxi Skirt

Chloé Paddington Embellished Leather Tote

Chloé Gathered Tie-detailed Lace-trimmed Silk-satin Mini Dress

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Palette Cleanser. Alaïa AW26

March 5, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Before moving to Milan to join Versace for good, Pieter Mulier delivered one last outing at Alaïa – a collection that felt less like a grand finale and more like a palate cleanser, even a kind of foundation laid out for his successor.

During his five years at the brand, Mulier pushed Azzedine Alaïa’s codes in unexpected directions – sometimes achieving remarkable finesse, at other times proposing busy, hectic ideas that risked overdressing the woman. His epilogue, however, is pleasing precisely because it returns to the core of what the house represents at its essence: body-enhancing clothes that appear simple, yet are in fact the result of meticulous construction and extraordinary precision.

That was Monsieur Alaïa’s intention behind every haute couture and ready-to-wear collection; Mulier seems to have taken it fully to heart here – better late than never. “To reduce, reduce,” he concluded backstage. No bags, no jewelry. “Only beauty and clothes and a naked shoe.”

And indeed, that understated beauty was visible in the clean lines of flared coats, scoop-neck engineered jersey dresses, and a perfectly tailored leather blazer.