Sprezzatura. Tod’s SS26

September 27, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Count on Matteo Tamburini to deliver a precise, hands-on collection in Milan. His Tod’s has become synonymous with finesse – especially in the realm of leather. It was reworked in myriad ways: from butter-smooth, striped dresses so languid and breezy they looked, from afar, like silk foulards; to a Macintosh coat worn inside out, its hidden seams revealed as bold graphic punctuation; to an easygoing suede column in a life-affirming shade of curcuma.

Tamburini also sent down the runway a series of feather-light pullovers in warm hues, styled with matching briefs, silk scarves, ladylike pumps, and oversized striped totes. Very chic – just like the black-and-white ensemble of a zipped hoodie, men’s shirt, and tailored pants. With every season, the Tod’s woman and her style grow ever more refined. Sprezzatura.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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A Need, Not A Want. Daniela Gregis SS26

September 25, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

You’d never guess which collection – an entire collection, not just two looks! – has stolen my heart this season. Daniela Gregis is a brand beloved by clients who shop not at Hermès or The Row, but at Dover Street Market and 10 Corso Como. Founded in the 1980s and now helmed by Daniela’s daughter, Marta Bortolotti, the label has no social media presence yet maintains a cult following. Its signatures are roomy sack dresses as effortless as T-shirts, ultra-fine knitwear, and an off-beat allure that feels a little granny-ish, delightfully quirky, and utterly specific.

This season’s collection distilled the Gregis style language to perfection: checked tunics and shawls cocooning the body, cloud-like dresses that from afar resemble crumpled paper, parachute volumes designed for comfort and ease. The layering? Heavenly. The color palette? Vibrant and uplifting. And yes, I’m already stealing the double-flannel shirt trick from the men’s looks. That curcuma-shade shirt is a need, not a want.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Radical Minimalism. Jil Sander SS26

September 25, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Simone Bellotti’s debut at Jil Sander was the cleanse the brand needed after years of somewhat clumsy minimalism under Lucie and Luke Meier. This wasn’t a debut as “big” as Demna’s soft launch at Gucci, nor as sexy as what we’ll likely see in a few days at Dario Vitale’s Versace. Still, Bellotti felt like a natural fit for Sander from the start: his few seasons at Bally intrigued with so-odd-it’s-good silhouettes, Swiss-inspired metalware details, and genuinely desirable accessories. And while Bally has once again descended into chaos (will that brand ever find peace?), Jil Sander now has a fresh sense of direction.

But is it truly new? Perhaps “refreshed” is the better word. The newly appointed creative director embraced radical purism, stripping away any superfluity from a cobalt-blue midi dress or a pristine white men’s coat. The collection recalled Raf Simons’ finest work at the house, as well as Jil Sander’s own uncompromising legacy: no-nonsense minimalism, rooted in the clean lines of Bauhaus modernism but refracted through a chic, Milanese lens. Some critics dismissed Bellotti’s work as naked – stripped of meaning or emotion. Yet the collection contained near-perfect garments: versatile, quietly desirable pieces that could even make the Olsens rethink a thing or two. In comparison, the wave of minimalist shows that clogged New York Fashion Week now feels flat, surface-level, and forgettable beside Jil Sander.

And having Guinevere Van Seenus – the ultimate Jil Sander woman – open the show was a witty, resonant gesture. Back to the roots.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Break The Routine. Bally AW25

March 2, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Simone Bellotti‘s collection for Bally was the perfect finale of Milan Fashion Week, being the best show of the last past days, shoulder to shoulder with Prada. Just like Miuccia and Raf, Simone does highly intelligent fashion – a rare talent. The autumn-winter 2025 show was titled elusively: “Leistung Aufführung” – two German words that both translate to “performance,” but carry distinct meanings. Leistung refers to performance in the sense of work, measured by productivity and achievements, while Aufführung signifies performance as a form of self-expression on stage. Hence the collection’s inspiration: 1970s photographs of Swiss performer Luciano Castelli, with his face heavily made up, dressed in shimmering sequined drag. In the collection, Castelli’s influence translated not only into shimmering berets and sequined make-up, but a striking play between structure and fluidity. Simone’s Bally is above all pure precision of cut; formal tailored coats and severe black leather dresses are regulars, but this time around they went through an expressive treatment, disrupted by wild burst of fur erupting at the back, or peeking out from the rigid crinoline of a peplum top. Those unexpected contrasts felt also very Dada, very Zürich’s Cabaret Voltaire. The bags, reminiscing giant bells that you can all over Swiss landscape, hit all the right spots. “I crave discipline, but breaking the routine is liberating,” Bellotti reflected. The industry rumor has it that this is the designer’s last collection for Bally, a triumph before his arrival to… Gucci. I’m here for it.

ED’s SELECTION:

BALLY Patent-leather Ballet Flats

BALLY Leather Mini Skirt

BALLY Brushed-wool Coat

BALLY Pathy Studded Leather Loafers

BALLY Belle Large Leather Tote

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Pina. Ferragamo AW25

March 2, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

For a second season in a row, Ferragamo‘s Maximilian Davis is inspired with contemporary dance. Pina Bausch was an in-your-face reference for autumn-winter 2025, just looking at the petal strewn runway (a nod to one of her most famous stagings, “Nelken“). Ballerina’s bodysuits from last collection got replaced with thicker jerseys, semi-sheer shifts and airy drapes. Two densely fringed mesh dresses near the end were hung with carnation-like florals. Some of the oversized tailored outerwear (the collection’s standout moments) echoed the masculine garments that Bausch was sometimes photographed wearing. It all seemed right. But in the end, something’s still missing in Maximilian’s vision for the Italian house.