Polarizing. Versace SS26

September 27, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

The fashion industry hasn’t witnessed such a polarizing collection – especially a debut – in quite some time. After Dario Vitale’s late-evening show for Versace yesterday, my DMs were ablaze until morning with radically different opinions. Some people loved it, calling it a startlingly fresh moment for Milan. Others, however, had no mercy for Vitale’s effort. Personally, I would love to hear Donatella Versace’s thoughts. Her complete absence from the show was… loud.

What is Versace without a Versace at the helm? Dario Vitale, formerly of Miu Miu, has a tough nut to crack. One thing is certain: his debut collection was confident. Gone are the days of Donatella’s flawless blondes in sky-high stilettos. In their place comes a sexuality aimed at younger clients – brisker, messier, slouchier, a bit more kinker. At moments, I felt I was watching a very dolled-up Magliano show – which would be head-turning if it were, in fact, Magliano. But is Versace truly ready to dive headlong into such vintage-heavy territory, straight into the 1980s without a filter? Donatella herself tried many times to revive Versus Versace with near 1:1 references to the brand’s past, and those “new” takes on the diffusion line never succeeded. Many of Vitale’s looks could easily have been sourced from a vintage boutique in Rome or Florence, allowing one to cosplay Gianni’s early career days head to toe. On one hand, the collection was about sensuality (“Honcho”-style in case of menswear, which was executed far better than womenswear, with a homo-erotic gaze) and youth; on the other, it smelled faintly of a mothballed closet. Yet the truth is: today’s “contemporary” audience is deeply nostalgic. Maybe this is what they want – rather than Phoebe Philo or Prada, two female-led brands that actually look forward.

It will be fascinating to see where Vitale takes Versace in the coming seasons – those choices will be decisive. For now, what I see is a cry for the past, one that also eclipses Alessandro Michele’s Valentino. The difference? With Michele, you know it’s his style through and through – not a costume.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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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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Sublime. Giorgio Armani SS26

July 5, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

“It seems that the new generations of designers are becoming passionate about my work, and I must say that this is a source of pride for me because it means that I can speak to young creatives who probably weren’t even born in the ’90s. This also means that the authenticity that I have always put into what I do is still reflected today,” Giorgio Armani mused after his spring-summer 2026 menswear show. As his brand celebrates 50th anniversary this year, there’s literally nothing more valuable for a designer who created such monumental heritage as being relevant and appreciated after all those decades. Italian menswear and womenswear owe a lot to Armani, and it’s good to see him being very rightfully embraced and applauded. The latest collection coming from the maestro was sublimely Giorgio, through the filter of Pantelleria, the volcanic island where he has summered for years. Matte black leather used in outerwear and everyday suiting echoed the island’s raw stone landscape, while a wide palette of marine blues and bougainvillea purples and pinks referred to the sights of Mediterranean nature that enchant the designer every single time he steps on the elusive, distant island. Dreamy and undeniably handsome were the quilted-collar jacket and double-zip gilet looks in treated linen that followed the North-African-inspired palm motif. Also especially strong were the accessories, running from wave-shaped woven rattan shoes to beautifully canvas satchels. Long live Giorgio. And kudos to Leo Dell’Orco, the long-time head of Armani’s men’s style office.