About Femininity. Colleen Allen SS26

September 17, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

I’ve been following Colleen Allen’s work since her debut, and it’s thrilling to see her collections strengthen season after season. Allen knows exactly who her woman is, and she designs with that archetype in mind. She’s poised and elegant, but with a touch of witchy allure – and an affinity for a peekaboo, négligé moment. Lace-trimmed bralettes and maxi skirts from the spring collection played with frivolous flashes of skin, while ecclesiastical silk cloaks added a sense of regality. Allen’s garments, though, are best appreciated in motion: her dresses dissolve into airy mists that wrap around the body. As she continues to develop her business, I’d love to see her step onto the runway.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Lady, Lady, Lady. Tory Burch SS26

September 16, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Once again, Tory Burch saves New York Fashion Week. The designer – who over the past few years has undergone a creative renaissance, dubbed by some as a “Tory-ssance” – examines the meaning of femininity through a beautifully balanced lens that merges past and present.

Her spring-summer 2026 collection is decidedly simpler and less “styled” than her previous outing, making room for alluring 1920s-inspired dresses, airy pleated skirts reminiscent of the 1950s, and 1980s-filtered balloon pants. In Burch’s hands, these looks never read as vintage pastiche but as pieces ready to be worn by women of now. Special mention goes to the purposefully faded wallpaper print, beautifully executed in a charming satin lilac pencil skirt. The overall feeling of the collection brought to my mind Marco Zanini’s glory days at Rochas, where he envisioned modern-day dames through a highly feminine, eclectic, yet undeniably cool perspective. Through her current work, Burch redefines the term “ladylike” by stripping away its conservative connotations – and that’s what I find most compelling about it.

ED’s SELECTION:

Tory Burch Printed Cotton-blend Poplin Midi Dress

Tory Burch Grosgrain-trimmed Broderie Anglaise Cotton-voile Tunic

Tory Burch Cotton-blend Pants

Tory Burch Mary Jane Leather Ballet Flats

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Overdressed. Khaite SS26

September 15, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

For the past few seasons, Khaite’s Catherine Holstein has been trying far too hard to make a fashion statement. She seems intent on proving her brand is ‘more.’ Yet, just like last season, her latest collection is overcrowded with unnecessary volumes and overworked design gestures. Geometric foldings, unflattering cuts, exaggerated padding, crafty weavings, oversized ruffles, and fur pompons leave her woman looking overdressed – and confused. The polka dots in the finale looks with gathered maxi skirts? Actually fun. They were clearly inspired by Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons. Perhaps the Khaite client should stop by Dover Street Market New York once in a while.

My biggest issue with this collection lies in all the in-between fillers. Coincidentally, COS presented its collection just a day after Khaite – and the high-street favorite of minimalists worldwide not only outshone Holstein’s so-called ‘less is more’ suits and eveningwear, but also made Calvin Klein Collection and many other New York–based labels look pale and plain by comparison this season.

I’m officially dubbing this phenomenon: ‘KHOS.’

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Tension. Eckhaus latta SS26

September 14, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Finally, a collection in New York that had a sense of tension – a spark! There was something undeniably sexy and smoky about Eckhaus Latta’s spring outing. I’ve always said that Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta would be the perfect fit for a truly successful Helmut Lang revival. They just have it in them. The collection’s second look – a black suit with a slashed belt worn by Cole Mohr – was electric in its simplicity and sensual regality. Likewise, the sleeveless black dress with a sheer skirt evoked the Yohji Yamamoto number Carolyn Bessette Kennedy adored. In fact, looking at this collection, I found myself thinking about Carolyn and John F. Kennedy Jr. – their style (a topic that will never cease to fascinate Substackers) and their passionate (and at times tumultuous) relationship. Yet alongside this unexpected elegance, the collection also embraced a more raw, straightforward take on New York sexiness, such as the abs-exposing t-shirts. Even in their most mature collection to date, Mike and Zoe never shy away from a mischievous twist.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Socialite. Altuzarra SS26

September 14, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Altuzarra’s (very autumnal) spring–summer 2026 collection centered on charming details, executed in a surreal, trompe-l’œil manner. A stole appeared as an illustration of bird wings encircling the neckline; a blazer’s pockets were appliquéd with black and red feathers, accentuating the waist and hips; dresses were not printed but patched with florals. Yet nothing about these wardrobe enhancements felt overly on the nose. The line-up is one that New York’s Swans – socialites like C.Z. Guest or Lee Radziwill – would surely embrace for its deft balance of day-to-evening sophistication. Balloon pants, Joseph Altuzarra’s recurring obsession, returned better than ever. For several seasons now, the designer has been channeling an elegance that feels both authentic and substantial.