Unpressed. Auralee AW26

January 25, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

For a more restrained vision of masculinity, lets turn to the Japanese label Auralee. Ryota Iwai, together with the talented stylist and art director Charlotte Collet, is clearly hot on the heels of Parisian minimalists such as Christophe Lemaire. Yet he has no interest in rehashing what’s “good taste.” Quite the opposite: he pairs colors that supposedly shouldn’t go together, deliberately disrupts proportions, and leaves both suits and jeans unpressed. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

Auralee Men’s Blouson Tweed Zip Jacket

Auralee Men’s Baby Suri Alpaca Sheer Knit Crewneck Sweater

Auralee Men’s Wool Straight-Leg Trousers

Auralee Men’s Wool Knit Shirt Cardigan

Auralee Men’s Short-Sleeve Cotton T-Shirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Coming Of Age. Dries Van Noten AW26

January 24, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Julian Klausner delivered his strongest solo outing at Dries Van Noten to date. The autumn–winter 2026 menswear collection radiates the youthful spirit of student days, when anything seems possible: drifting from one party to the next, cramming for exams at the last minute, and handing in papers a day past the deadline. The naturally cool spontaneity of a vintage-inspired striped sweater paired with a kilt, a hilariously kooky chullo-like beanie, and lace-ups with thick socks peeking out is intoxicatingly inspiring. So, too, is the campus-inflected layering: oversized capes worn over prim, uniform-like tailoring and neatly knotted neckties.

Yet this was not a collection about preppiness. I found it beautifully folkloric instead. Nordic knitwear patterns clashed with subtly faded, sensational Polaroid-like florals on satin trousers and raincoats. These are life-affirming clothes – and styling cues – that make you feel young again, no face-lift required.

ED’s SELECTION:

Dries Van Noten Double-breasted Embellished Striped Wool And Linen-blend Coat

Dries Van Noten Nylon and Leather Low-Top Sneakers

Dries Van Noteb Pine Straight-Fit Flocked Denim Jeans

Dries Van Noten Hen Oversized Graphic T-Shirt

Dries Van Noten Velen Embellished Jacket

Dries Van Noten Rock The Myrrh Eau de Parfum

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Radical Uniform. Rick Owens AW26

January 23, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Rick Owens’s latest collection? Hard as ice-cold metal, raw as Kim Gordon’s newest song, emotionally explosive like a Lynne Ramsay film – yet, at the same time, utterly and devastatingly beautiful. This season, the designer was invested in the idea of uniforms: they command presence and provoke threat, but once mocked, they can easily tip into something almost hilarious. It was therefore intriguing to see how Owens reimagined hyper-masculine utilitarianism within his twisted universe, where darkness functions as the true source of light.

The athletic models appeared even more otherworldly in elongated, skin-tight silhouettes, ornamented with floor-sweeping tentacles, razor-sharp shoulder pads, and origami-like constructions that quite literally enveloped the wearer. Color-washed, cropped gothic cashmere coats took on a grunge edge when paired with stone-washed pants, while Rick’s signature high-platform boots pushed each look into even more extreme, radical territory. It’s a tough world out there, and Owens designs clothes that protect you – physically and mentally – from the harsh detriments of reality.

ED’s SELECTION:

Rick Owens Jumbo Tabard Silk-chiffon Turtleneck Blouse

Rick Owens x Dr. Martens 1460 Quad Sole Megalace Leather Ankle Boots

Rick Owens Triple Donut Convertible Cashmere Sweater

Rick Owens Cropped Bleached Brushed-cotton Bomber Jacket

Rick Owens Satin Wide-leg Cargo Pants

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Pragmatic. Lemaire AW26

January 23, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

On the stage of the Opéra Bastille, the Lemaire troupe emerged in small configurations, each representing different themes and attitudes across the collection. One model moved a chair; another wandered into the audience; and then there was dancer Julie Anne Stanzak, who gleefully leapt and twirled in a floaty yellow dress while clutching her pumps. Theatrics aside, this was a quintessentially Lemaire collection, defined by “a very pragmatic approach to clothes,” as Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran stated. It is grounded in the everyday – somewhere between the utilitarian and the functional – yet at the same time unmistakably chic. Whether a quilted skirt that converts into a cape, a sculpted bag shaped like buttocks, or the dramatic insertion of impressionistic colour layered into earthy tones, Lemaire’s pieces are designed to be worn, loved, and lived in.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Actually Fashion. Dior Men AW26

January 22, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Remember my very real concerns about this season’s menswear turning conservative? Jonathan Anderson erased them the second the first look of his sophomore Dior menswear collection hit the runway. It felt like a bow-wow-wow moment of unfiltered fashion that is actually fashion, for Christ’s sake.

The yellow wigs by Guido Palau, à la Pam Hogg, felt like the much-needed final disruption of the contemporary Dior image – one long orchestrated by former creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones. Goodbye neatness and primness; hello decadence, flamboyance, drama. This collection cut the umbilical cord to anything preppy, veering into directions nobody could have fathomed. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.