Menswear

A Woman’s Touch. Fendi AW26 Couture

| Design & Culture by Ed

Nobody wants to have that conversation, but Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first haute couture collection for Fendi was very good. Of course, there were fillers – she just has to include those client-pleasers: the unassuming A-line, unwaisted silhouettes that tend to fall at mid-calf or ankle length. But then, at her Rome show at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, there were genuine stunners, like an ivory cloak that looked like lace from a distance, only to reveal intricate flowers crafted from fur, leather, and fabric up close. Or the opening caftan, pieced together in black-and-white chevron stripes and modeled after a dress worn a century ago by Emilie Flöge. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Not Your Man Yet. Givenchy SS27

| Design & Culture by Ed

Sarah Burton‘s menswear debut for Givenchy proves that, in the end, it’s all about how clothes are photographed. Through Juergen Teller’s lens, Don McCullin, Don Letts, and Danny Fox make the collection feel believable and genuinely cool. But the moment you switch to the studio-shot lookbook starring professional (and very young) models, you’re left with a collection that lacks a clear narrative. Yes, the lavishly embroidered MA-1 jackets are stunning. The hourglass-tailored suits are beautiful too. But then come the tracksuits, rugby shirts, florals, and sneakers, which make the overall picture feel scattered rather than cohesive. It’s not as if Givenchy menswear lacks a legacy – we’ve had Ozwald Boateng and, of course, Riccardo Tisci, who turned the line into a genuine commercial force. But after years of neglect and falling into irrelevance, Burton’s debut doesn’t quite give men a compelling reason to drop everything and return to the brand. Hopefully time will heal that wound.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sumptuous. Giorgio Armani SS27

| Design & Culture by Ed

There’s been a lot of chatter and speculation about who will eventually take over Giorgio Armani. As if Leo Dell’Orco, the late master’s longtime right-hand man, weren’t already doing a brilliant job. His menswear is sumptuously sublime – like the perfect vitello tonnato, a plate of artichoke hearts, and an espresso martini – and it breathes pure Armani DNA. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:


Giorgio Armani Solid Seersucker Sport Shirt



Giorgio Armani Herringbone Cashmere and Wool Sport Coat



Giorgio Armani Cotton and Silk Crewneck Sweater



Giorgio Armani Dyed Satin Oversized Button-Down Shirt with Pocket



Giorgio Armani Cotton and Lyocell Straight-Leg Pleated Trousers



Giorgio Armani Pleated Bib Tuxedo Shirt



Giorgio Armani 5-Pocket Stretch Cotton Pants

The Island. ERL SS27

| Design & Culture by Ed

Eli Russell Linnetz – who not long ago curated a capsule collection for Armani, reissuing some of Giorgio’s greatest hits from the 1970s and 1980s – is another menswear designer who deserves all the flowers. This season, the Venice Beach-based creative returns with a collection-script titled The Island, inspired by the deeply personal experience of staying in a stranger’s home and slowly getting to know the people who lived there.

The vibe is hyper-preppy, but what sets it apart from Ralph Lauren is ERL’s proudly loud, unapologetically queer flamboyance. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Patina. Magliano SS27

| Design & Culture by Ed

There’s a sense of distressed, dirty chic about Magliano. In a way, patina was Luca Magliano’s guiding obsession for spring-summer 2027 – “the patina of an old picture, of memory.” The garments carry a distinct 1970s flavor; they feel as if they’ve absorbed cigarette smoke and spilled liquor, as if they were worn all night in some old-school club you might still stumble upon on the outskirts of Rome or Milan (or in any of those smaller Italian towns where time moves differently).

The Milan-based designer – now showing in Paris – approaches classic menswear through a queer lens, filtered with irony and just the right amount of distance. A cheetah-print top paired with matching jeans, an ill-fitting four-button suit jacket that feels lifted from another era, a thrifted foulard worn like a sarong, an aged suit collapsing slightly at the shoulders – all of it carries nostalgia with a flicker of something sharper, almost rageful beneath the surface. Wink, wink.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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