Radically Elegant. Dunhill AW25

January 21, 2025 | 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.
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Homo Sapiens Chic. Prada AW25

January 20, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

As the world is in flames and the U.S. is entering the second presidency of Donald Trump, it seems we’re jumping from one dystopian vision… to another. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons aren’t pretending to have all the answers like they once did. But they surely know how to dress men in this strange, strange world.

Crude furs. Rough cuts. Bare chests. Primary instincts. The return of homo sapiens chic. This is what Prada is for autumn-winter 2025. “It is a bit of an answer, as always, to what is happening. So we have to resist with our instinct, and our humanity, and our passion, and our hands in a world that is becoming so conservative,” the Signora mused.

Nothing is ever obvious with these two. But this season, the designers are offering somewhat obvious building blocks for a man who isn’t certain of tomorrow. Anorak puffers, slightly over-sized tailoring, very heavy knitwear. But there’s space for beauty, that little sparky thing that makes us human. A pink flower-brooch tucked into a jacket’s label, for instance. Or the wallpaper print ornamenting the surface of a barely-there t-shirt, worn by a modern-day Narcissus.

Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole.

R.I.P. David Lynch.

ED’s SELECTION:

Prada Men’s Spazzolato Triangle Logo Penny Loafers

Prada Men’s Velluto Coste Corduroy and Suede Gloves

Prada Men’s Oxford Dress Shirt

Prada Men’s Relaxed-Fit Washed Denim Jeans

Prada Men’s Cotton Moleskin Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sprezzatura. Brioni AW25

January 19, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

It seems to me that no one embodies the art of sprezzatura in Milan’s menswear quite like Norbert Stumpfl at Brioni. Poignant, laid-back, seductive, and undeniably luxurious, the Austrian-born designer’s vision for the Roman house ticks all the right boxes for me. The men featured in the autumn-winter 2025 lookbook are draped in sumptuous shades of ochre and burgundy, exuding irresistible chic in their cashmere coats and loosely tailored, pyjama-like suits. The thin, fringed scarves, tied nonchalantly around their necks, lend the collection an air of refined cool. Brioni is for the man who brunches at Giacomo Bistrot and dines at Il Solferino, yet never takes himself too seriously.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Amplified Refinement. Loro Piana SS25

November 9, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

The anonymous creative team behind Loro Piana doesn’t only deliver some of the most exquisitely made tailoring and cashmeres (this spring, blended with linen for extra-lightness and fluidity), but also challenge themselves – and their customers – with dandy-ish, subtly off-kilter styling. Wonderfully simple, silk pleated mini-dress is worn with a chic-looking milk-maid bonnet. An aristocratic cape dress is styled with ribbed socks and suede slippers. Silk scarves are fashioned into ad hoc handbags. Then, a highly impressive embroidered and shaved cashmere jacket in cocoon-shape looks like a very price-y vintage piece. Suede-collared country jacket and a linen-silk herringbone suit were amongst the many fine, equally eclectic and sophisticated items for men. There’s certainly something absolutely dignified about Loro Piana’s take on minimalism, making it stand out in this highly-saturated niche.

Here are some of my favorite Loro Piana pieces, just in time for your festive shopping!

ED’s DISPATCH:

Loro Piana Alpe Di Mera Ripstop-trimmed Cashmere Sweater

Loro Piana Ikeda Ribbed Silk And Cotton-blend Midi Skirt

Loro Piana Spagna Flax Jacket

Loro Piana Calza Noel Jacquard-knit Cashmere Socks

Loro Piana Engadin Hooded Crochet-knit Cashmere Scarf

Loro Piana Floaty Leather-trimmed Macramé Lace Flats

Loro Piana Holiday Noel Fair Isle Cashmere-jacquard Turtleneck Sweater

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Taste. Bottega Veneta Resort 2025

November 2, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Matthieu Blazy brings something growingly rare in fashion today: clothes that spark not just joy, but happiness. His recent collections for Bottega Veneta ooze with unabashed dolce vita; they make you want to live life colorfully and boldly. This is also the case with resort 2025 line-up, which is beautifully eclectic and full of playful idiosyncrasy. “There was no big concept,” Blazy said of this pre-season collection. “It was more about: How can we put things together and when it comes to the individual ingredients, does it make your heart beat?” That might be the exact answer why Bottega – of all the Kering brands – performs so well. It makes the customers’ hearts beat. When I visited the brand’s newly-refurbished store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris last month, I was more than pleased with the actual emotions the brand’s garments and accessories bring, but also with their non-conformity and exquisite craftsmanship. The resort collection captures that perfectly – and feels like a delightful menu of unpretentious, wholesome meals that please all the taste buds. The food affiliation isn’t a co-incidence. “I rewatched a lot of Anthony Bourdain. There are a lot of parallels between the pleasure of cooking and the pleasure of putting things together on the silhouette. What I really wanted to do this season, it was pure pragmatically epicurean. I just took everything I like. It was like in Italy, when the ingredients are good, you don’t need to do too much with it,” Blazy summed up. How that translates to the clothes? Head-to-toe, saturated colors; experimental intrecciato patterns; extremes of full silhouettes; fish-prints (inspired with the late Gaetano Pesce’s art); massive, artisan knitwear. And plenty of individual taste.