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. Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!
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Carven‘s pre-fall 2025 collection, officially credited to the brand’s studio, is a good-looking transition moment between Louise Trotter’s work at the maison and the brand’s current creative director – and long-time collaborator of Trotter – Mark Thomas. The line-up, offering garments and accessories so wearable and easy-in-approach that it’s hard not to fall in love with their daily allure, is informed by blousy smock tops, wraparound apron shapes and a penchant for fabrics that appear structured to the eye yet soft around the body. One of the dresses with flannel on front and crushed lining in the back reminisces a 1950s couture dress with its strikingly simple, yet chic silhouette. Then you’ve got all the bubbly, t-shirt-inspired dresses and tops, minimal, timeless, versatile. The knits and cashmere shifts are pieces to be grateful for when you need to leave home looking pulled together. Carven became a go-to brand for less is more women who aren’t after The Row’s sophisticated oddness or Phoebe Philo’s contemporary strictness; the brand offers a warmer, cozier approach to minimalism. A madame minimalism.
Maybe it’s the general fatigue from the constant fashion cycles – since January 7th, it’s been non-stop fashion weeks (pre-fall, menswear, couture, and the bizarrely packed Copenhagen and Berlin FWs) – but New York Fashion Week so far feels painfully generic. Of course, there were exceptions: Marc Jacobs‘ joyful outing and Christopher John Rogers‘ exuberant return to the runway. But in the sea of tasteless minimalism flooding the city, it’s easy to forget these fleeting moments of vitality.
And that’s precisely the problem with NYFW and its brands: their obsession with minimalism. Everyone wants to be the next The Row but ends up in the limbo of Totême, Proenza Schouler, and the current-day, shapeless look of Jil Sander. Everyone wants to channel the straightforward, raw elegance of Phoebe Philo, but the result is COS. Worse yet – overpriced COS.
New York has a deep-rooted history with minimalism. Minimal art was born here: think Frank Stella’s geometric perfection, Donald Judd’s rigorously crafted “Specific Objects,” and Dan Flavin’s fluorescent light installations. It’s no coincidence that as minimal art began to take shape, fashion minimalists emerged in the city, starting with Halston and Zoran, evolving through Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, and culminating in Helmut Lang – who, ironically, wasn’t even based in New York. His vision of womenswear and menswear in the late ’90s, formed during his time in the city, creatively propels local designers of today, like Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta of Eckhaus Latta. It’s really no wonder why so many brands are fixated on minimalism here. But should they be?
The appointment of Veronica Leoni as creative director at Calvin Klein (Collection) promised to be the next big New York success story everyone had been waiting for. Unfortunately, the Italian designer – best known for her discreet label Quira – missed the mark with her debut. Completely.
Calvin Klein’s minimalism of yore was charged with emotion and grace. His lines and silhouettes were simple, yet sophisticated, exuding power. Just take a look at this Instagram archive of his runway collections – less really was more. What I saw at Calvin Klein Collection yesterday, however, left me with a sad feeling of emptiness. It all looked like another variation of the generic minimalist grey (or rather, beige!) zone overtaking fashion. And it’s not even true minimalism; it’s stylized to look minimalist. We already have enough brands doing that – like Maximilian Davis’ Ferragamo or the aforementioned Jil Sander under the Meiers. These are collections you won’t remember in six months when they hit the stores. I doubt anyone will remember Leoni’s plaid shirt moment (how Matthieu Blazy for Bottega), the caped shirt (hello, Phoebe!), or yet another broad-shouldered camel coat that she presented. Kendall Jenner’s runway appearance and “CK One”-inspired mini-bags won’t help with the fashion amnesia.
Veronica Leoni’s first attempt to revive Calvin Klein’s runway line highlights just how ahead of his time Raf Simons was with his 205W39NYC concept. Instead of playing to the obvious Calvin trope of minimalism, he tackled another: Americana. And he delivered a short-lived but utterly memorable body of work, presenting the Calvin Klein legacy through a truly exciting lens. Good for Miuccia: she was quick to snap him up for Prada right after his New York stint.
Of course, it’s far too early to judge Veronica Leoni’s first collection at Calvin Klein. But if she plans to continue orbiting this plain-looking status quo, I doubt it will succeed. Women already have Khaite, and men have Fear of God. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, labels like Lemaire, Phoebe Philo, Hed Mayner, and of course, The Row – now fully Paris-based, no surprise – that aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of what minimalism can mean (and look like).
Collage by Edward Kanarecki. Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!
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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!
Phoebe Philo fans, rejoice! The second delivery of the second edit is here. The idea of “continuity” is key in the designer’s eponymous venture: Philo keeps on building THE wardrobe, making her primary ideas as valid as the new ones. The fresh set of pictures – by Talia Chetrit – stun with their simplicity yet commanding allure. Looking at them, you just really desire all these dropped-waist leathers and outerwear pieces, no matter what the price for them is (disclaimer: h i g h, but after reading Philo’s silence-breaker piece by Vanessa Friedman for The New York Times, I really get it, and if I had a money tree, I would indulge and indulge in the brand’s offering without any doubt in the quality and uniqueness of these pieces). There are gorgeous trench coat iterations with attachable scarves; wrap-skirts in butter-smooth leather; very, very handsome cargo coats with huge pockets; a leg -wrapping ribbed skirt. Basically speaking, garments you buy once and wear forever. The latest delivery also offers basket cabas bags à la Old Céline and the brand’s going-gently-viral “Bean” bag covered in rough-cut, XL leather fringes; hot, retro-tinged sunglasses in cool narrow shape; and lethally chic open-toed pumps in oxblood. According to the aforementioned piece, Phoebe likes to tell her kids: “the more you mess around, the more you find out“. She actually uses the more colloquial, raw version of this saying. It seems to perfectly captures the spirit of her quite revolutionary, assertive endeavor.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki. Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!
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