Surplus. ERL Resort 2026

Of course, if you’ve just watched Kathryn Bigelow’s “House on Dynamite“, looking at ERL’s soldiers might make you feel somewhat uneasy. The fear of nuclear war is, well, omnipresent. But Eli Russell Linnetz’s take on army boys carries the attitude of the infamous 2007 Vogue Italia cover and editorial shot by Steven Meisel, where Agyness Deyn and a troop of golden-retriever-looking fighters undergo a kind of sexual awakening.

Linnetz titled hi resort 2026 collection “Surplus“, referencing the surplus store as a constant presence in “a deep corner of American consciousness.” The designer repurposed surplus stock – pieces he says he’s been collecting for years – and juxtaposed them with his more luxurious interpretations. Think glorious patchworked parkas mixed with camouflage separates, chunky Donegal sweaters, and cool-looking cargos in overdyed fabrics.

The clothes have a lived-in quality – and looking at the lookbook, photographed in Eli Russell’s signature theatrical manner – you can almost smell the sweat and adrenaline that these garments are flavored with.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Poison Ivy. ERL SS26

Eli Russell Linnetz just knows what’s right in the moment. Actually, he creates the moment. Fashion’s current obsession with vintage American prep? ERL did that seasons ago, and created a contemporary playbook dedicated to that trope. Flip-flops? The shoe of the season in the Californian designer’s hands became a whole new statement. Now, Linnetz is ready to explore codes of classical menswear and (poisonous) masculinity. Argyle sweaters, cotton boxers, and grandpa-style knits all got the ERL treatment for spring-summer 2026, with deliberate proportion updates (tapering at the waist, tight at the biceps, and stretched across the chest). The relaxed tailoring could easily be an object of Aldo Fallai’s Giorgio Armani campaigns in the 1980s. But through Linnetz’s lens – literally, because he shoots all the ERL visuals – you can perceive something slightly disturbing, yet absolutely elusive about Christian and Ivy’s, the look-book’s heroes, dynamic. Christian is the king of campus, and Ivy would give anything to be around him – or be him, rather, in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” kind of way. Linnetz’s story follows Ivy as he embeds himself into Christian’s inner circle, with his admiration turning sour and then poisonous, subsequently culminating in an act of violence. Now imagine giving Eli Russell an opportunity to not only design costumes, but also direct a feature film. Cooper Koch could easily be the lead act.

ED’s SELECTION:

ERL Men’s Striped Jersey T-Shirt


ERL Men’s Indiana Baggy Jeans


ERL Cropped Ribbed-knit Cardigan


COS Eva Flip Flops

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Heartthrob Appeal. ERL AW25

For ERL‘s autumn-winter 2025, Eli Russell Linnetz dialed down on the usual theatrics, and came up with a collection for the Cooper Kochs of the world. By that I mean the guys with naturally-born, red-carpet-heartthrob swagger that can equally pull off a ready-for-Gstaad ski-look or a Giorgio Armani luncheon in a perfectly-cut jacket and flared denim pants. The ultimate highlight coming from the Venice Beach-based designer? The menswear accessory that’s hopefully having a grand return: the cummerbund. He styled it over a black shirt and oversized pleated pants a black shirt, and finished the look with a cocoon-shaped duvet jacket. I like this new direction at ERL.


ED’s SELECTION:

ERL Zebra-Print Quilted Puffer Jacket


ERL Donegal Polo Sweater


ERL Multi-Logo Intarsia Sweater


ERL Silk-Wool Swirl Knit Hoodie


ERL Bicolor Swirl Hoodie

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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NET-A-PORTER Limited