Constructivist. Lii AW26

February 15, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

So perhaps New York Fashion Week still matters. It’s here that you encounter talents like 25-year-old Zane Li, the founder of Lii. He has an extraordinary approach to shape and geometry, creating garments that feel constructivist in both appearance and method. Like Vladimir Tatlin’s abstract installations made from industrial materials, Li’s pieces demand to be viewed from every angle: a skirt may appear exaggeratedly flat from the front, only to protrude at the back with an almost extraterrestrial force.

Based in New York, the designer explores the potential of line and silhouette through precisely cut, flat fabrics rendered in bold color-blocking that delivers a punchy visual impact. It was compelling to see him introduce faux fur into the mix, adding texture to designs that might otherwise read as austerely sterile. And the utilitarian gloves? A nod to Todd Haynes’s “Safe“. We do live in a dangerous world.

What distinguishes Li’s work is his refusal to casually appropriate the term “minimalism,” as so many New York designers do. He understands the discipline the word implies – and claims it, convincingly, on his own terms.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Metropolitan. Fforme AW26

February 14, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Fforme is yet another New York–based representative of modern-day minimalism and an advocate of all things “good taste.” Frances Howie, the brand’s current creative director, drew inspiration from “Metropolitan” – Whit Stillman’s 1990 cult classic and the cinematic shorthand for Upper East Side dressing and socialite allure.

The collection was prim and elegant, yet beneath the surface two key references emerged: Martin Margiela’s fur wigs created in collaboration with Bless in 1997, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s cheeky tights-as-shoes moment from a year ago. (Industry lore has it that the shoes failed to arrive in time for The Row show; at Fforme, by contrast, the black “tights” are in fact ultra-slim boots with barely visible soles.)

Howie’s highly-photogenic line-up will undoubtedly please Pinterest art directors. But will the idealized, moneyed Manhattan woman – the figure so many New York designers seem intent on dressing this season – buy into it? I’d wager, and hope, that these mythical women, who model themselves on Lee Radziwill or Babe Paley, know their references.

ED’s SELECTION:

FFORME Ekani Silk Midi Dress

FFORME Jamie Wool Coat

FFORME Aline Scuba Straight-leg Pants

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Unanswered Questions. Calvin Klein Collection AW26

February 14, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

After two entirely unmemorable and unresolved collections, Veronica Leoni’s third outing for Calvin Klein Collection is her strongest yet. That doesn’t mean it was flawless. A significant question still lingers: what is the actual purpose of this line? And why does it feel so disconnected from what Calvin Klein as a brand represents today?

It’s clear that Leoni wants to challenge both herself and the house by proposing sophisticated interpretations of minimalism. Yet the result often comes across as misguided, particularly in a city like New York, already saturated with minimalist labels. Why not take a cue from Dario Vitale’s now-legendary debut at Versace and engage directly with the most recognizable signifiers of contemporary Calvin Klein? Why not embrace full-throttle hedonism in the spirit of the Bad Bunny campaign? Maybe, in the end of the day, the hypothetical client of the brand wants to get laid. That shift would truly shake things up – for Calvin Klein Collection and for Leoni herself, a seasoned and undeniably talented designer who nonetheless appears somewhat constrained within this corporate behemoth.

Her autumn-winter 2026 collection assembles a series of compelling ideas – sack-like silhouettes, or her first foray into straightforward, muscular sex appeal expressed through sleeveless jackets that expose sculpted arms. But these moments are diluted by awkward curtain-like dresses and outerwear that feels closer to Helmut Lang than to Calvin Klein. A sharper edit might help clarify what Leoni is trying to communicate. Ultimately, however, the issue seems to lie within the institution itself: a brand that aspires to high fashion without fully committing to making it work. In that context, the designer becomes the casualty of the story.

ED’s SELECTION:

Calvin Klein Collection Anna Metallic Cracked-leather Pumps

Calvin Klein Collection Annie Stretch-knit Mock-neck Mini Dress

Calvin Klein Collection Kate Satin Slingback Flats

Calvin Klein Collection Luna Satin Skirt

Calvin Klein Collection America Duffle Medium Croc-effect Suede Tote

Calvin Klein Collection Parker Wool Blazer

Calvin Klein Collection Daisy Cotton-poplin Shirt

Calvin Klein Collection Felix Leather Brogues

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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New York Chic. Tory Burch AW26

February 12, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

You can always rely on Tory Burch – she never disappoints and consistently makes New York Fashion Week worthwhile. Her autumn-winter 2026 collection delves deeper into the interwar period she has been exploring of late, offering stunningly effortless drop-waist flapper dresses, elegantly contrasted with a subtle garçon-esque flamboyance in more utilitarian ensembles. Enter the meaty corduroy trousers – inspired by her father’s well-worn pair – and chunky sweaters layered over crisp shirts, collars peeking out from underneath. The strong lineup of highly wearable, unpretentious pieces was enlivened with silver fish pins and pendant necklaces. Woven raffia baskets for winter? Unexpected – and undeniably cool. This is a collection for the Leandra Medines of the world: women who dress eccentrically and instinctively, with wit, intelligence, and attitude.

ED’s SELECTION:

Tory Burch Pierced Pumps

Tory Burch Colorblock Wool Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Innocence. Chloé Pre-Fall 2026

February 1, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

There’s just something about Chemena Kamali’s Chloé girl that never grows tiresome. Yes, she has a fixation on the past – but it’s a charming one. For pre-fall 2026 – shot by Mark Kean, who has an incredible way of capturing blown-out hair and a certain innocence in his subjects – Kamali proposes a strikingly chic formula: a basic henley elevated by a draped pencil skirt and a leather basque belt. Easy, flirty, fun. Elsewhere, a ruffled blouse – modeled after the Chloé dress Karl Lagerfeld designed for Paloma Picasso’s wedding – is dressed down with stretch-velvet stirrup pants, creating a look that feels Parisian in a postcard way, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Kamali is only approaching her third year at Chloé, yet it feels as though she’s been thriving there for an era (she did, after all, work at the house under Phoebe Philo’s helm in the early 2000s, so this tracks). She has rebuilt the brand into a sanctuary of unpretentious, witty femininity, with each collection reading as a natural continuation of the last. Kamali herself notes, “what I get as feedback is that you can mix the collections quite well – pieces from the first show with last season’s pre-collection, say.” This isn’t a PR line; it’s a fact easily observed on the streets of Paris.