Milan

Dream, Dream. Alberta Ferretti AW25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Lorenzo Serafini‘s debut collection for Alberta Ferretti wasn’t the loudest, but certainly was persuasive. “It is the big dreams that make people big. Small ones are desires. One should not be afraid to be ‘exaggerated’… at least in dreams.” Serafini used this beautiful Franca Sozzani quote in the notes for a show that represented, for him, the actualization of a very big dream: his new role at the Milan-based brand founded in 1981. The Sozzani factor was thanks to the late great Vogue Italia’s friendship with Ferretti, and her inspirational status for Serafini. Alongside the founder, Sozzani acted as the spiritual muse for this collection. You could actually imagine these dreamy, billow-y gowns and oversized suits on the pages of Franca’s Vogue, maybe photographed by Sarah Moon or Paolo Roversi. Serafini also delivered some of the most fascinating evening numbers we’ve seen this season – especially the unobvious-looking draped dresses that had a little of Romeo Gigli in them.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited

What’s Gucci Today? Gucci AW25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Gucci‘s autumn-winter 2025 collection begs a question: do big brands need creative directors? Look at Loro Piana – it’s lead by a largely anonymous design studio, and it’s selling like hot buns. Their clients really don’t care about who’s designing what: it’s the quality that matters – and the overall image of the brand. After Sabato De Sarno’s departure from Gucci – and his very plain, very mild tenure – the brand is facing identity crisis. Should it go maximalist à la Alessandro Michele? Should it revert back to Tom Ford’s minimalist sensuality? Should it tap Hedi Slimane or an under-the-radar-name? At the moment, there’s no right answer. Even though the line-up that opened Milan Fashion Week wasn’t bad (it was way better than anything De Sarno presented), it left you with an impression of incompleteness. If not for Suzanne Koller’s masterful styling, the trendy-looking color palette, a bunch of faux-fur coats and silk slip dresses had little to say.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited

Naughty Boys. DsQuared2 AW25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Yesterday in Milan, Dean & Dan Caten celebrated 30 years of DsQuared2: three decades of naughty bravado, sultry hedonism and campy glamour. Their autumn-winter 2025 fashion show, which had everything from a Doechii performance to Naomi Campbell finale walk, was a glorious look-back at the Canadian brothers’ all-time favorite runway characters. There were cowboys, lumberjacks, bombshells, BDSM aficionados, high-octane starlets. It all ended with Brigitte Nielsen dressed as a police officer, arresting the Catens – who, dapper in tuxedos and towering platforms, broke free from their cuffs, kicking off a raucous after-party. Fun fact: the Dsquared2 line-up included collaborations with Magliano, Vaquera, and Bettter, all of whom were welcomed into the Catens’ archives to rework past designs. The brothers still know what’s up.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited

Maestro. Giorgio Armani AW25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Let’s be honest: 99.9% of menswear designers in Milan this season look up to the Italian maestro: Giorgio Armani. As they should. He’s one of the last living legends. And he just doesn’t stop.

The designer’s autumn-winter 2025 collection was just sublime. Gorgeously weathered leather jackets looked as if they could have been adapted straight from Armani’s archive on display in his Silos space in Milan, worn this season against ruby velvet shirting and roomy gray trousers in loden-thick wool. Oh, the velvet! The best kind of: meaty, but cascading. Just sumptuous, whether in electric ocean-blue or deep, deep burgundy.

Armani’s clothes look credibly contemporary and quintessentially Milan. Forever.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited

Radically Elegant. Dunhill AW25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Simon Holloway’s revolution at Dunhill makes one want a bespoke suit. The designer’s knack for radical elegance in menswear is both: seductive and aspirational.

Especially when we’ve got this ultra-fine collection formal car-coats and blazers, crafted from high-end British traditional fabrics (think Melton, Donegal tweed, wool whipcord, cashmere tartan) into lighter versions – and tailored with a softer, more supple construction. Holloway is also an accessory guy: leather driving gloves are his signature, just like a proper velvet bow-tie.

Doing traditional, occasion-driven menswear without veering into archaic territory isn’t easy, but Holloway has a knack for striking that balance. The autumn-winter 2025 collection felt fresh and cohesive, and its rigor – absolutely handsome.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

NET-A-PORTER Limited