Faux Return. Alexander Wang SS26

September 13, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

I didn’t buy into the Alexander Wang show. Billed as his grand runway return after the turbulence of recent years – sexual assault allegations and all – it failed to generate any real excitement. Wang clearly aimed for a refined, demure direction reminiscent of his brief Balenciaga stint (if anyone even remembers that moment in history): ladylike dresses, business-ready tailoring, and an overall sober mood.

In effect, the collection felt entirely devoid of emotion – and not particularly elegant. The faux fur was a bit cheeky, but… aren’t we talking about a summer season? The finale looks evoked tents, for no reason. Why not revisit the essence of old Wang and create something in the airy, effortless spirit of his spring–summer 2011 collection?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Generic. Calvin Klein Collection SS26

September 13, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

New York Fashion Week is here, and I’m confused: why does generic minimalism have to dominate this city so relentlessly? Everyone wants to be the next Halston (or The Row), but in reality, it’s not as simple as it looks. As LEWIS’S wrote, minimalism is “the most difficult aesthetic to achieve” and it “demands the highest precision and a mastery of the fundamentals of design”. Contemporary New York–based designers should print these words out and pin them to their studio walls.

Especially Veronica Leoni, creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. Spring–Summer 2026 marks her sophomore season, and it falters just as much as her debut. What bothers me most is how unedited and unresolved it feels – particularly considering Leoni has the ‘luxury’ of presenting just two runway collections a year, a privilege many designers can only dream of. Her latest offering resembles COS staging runway shows: an exhaustive survey of current trends, watered down and labeled ‘minimal.’ But here’s the issue: COS is an ambitious high-street brand, while Calvin Klein Collection positions itself as a high-luxury label. At those price points, the last thing you want is a diluted mélange of Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter’s Carven, the Meiers’ Jil Sander, and even Maximilian Davis’ Ferragamo.

The only authentic moment on Leoni’s runway was the Canadian tuxedo, worn by a blond male model who could have stepped straight out of a Richard Avedon ad. That look is quintessentially Calvin Klein – but the catch is, you already find that product in the ‘mainstream’ line, where Bad Bunny and Cooper Koch flaunt their jewels. And here we hit another of Leoni’s major problems: the utter disconnect between her collection and what Calvin Klein represents to contemporary, mainstream audiences. Those logo waistbands repurposed into a faux-intrecciato dress and sunglasses do nothing to bridge the gap.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Fresh Air. Proenza Schouler SS26

September 11, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

The first debut – out of more than a dozen still ahead – is now behind us. Well, sort of. Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, just stepped into Proenza Schouler, presenting her first dialogue with the brand’s design team. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although Scott’s contribution to this collection must have been rather brief, she managed to inject more vitality into Proenza than Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough did in the past decade. The founders and former creative directors of the once-quintessentially-New-York-cool label struggled for years to revive their brainchild. Instead, they leaned too heavily on the aesthetics of The Row and Bottega Veneta, while borrowing too many cues from Helmut Lang and Phoebe Philo. The result: Proenza Schouler devolved into a generically minimal brand, catering to women who would just as soon shop with the Olsens.

Scott, however, brought a breath of fresh air in the very first moments of the spring–summer 2026 presentation. What struck me most were the leather laser-cut pieces – especially a t-shirt styled with ochre briefs and mint-green, over-the-knee boots crafted from a sheer, organza-like material. The floral prints exploded like vibrant fireworks, while a bright orange turtleneck sweater radiated cool.

In some ways, you could still catch glimpses of the old Proenza Schouler – colorful, bold, and rooted in an experimental play with layers and textures. I only wish the collection felt more fully resolved; but then again, this wasn’t a true debut, more of a first taste of what’s still to come.

One thing is certain: Scott needs to define exactly who the Proenza Schouler woman is.

ED’s SELECTION:

Proenza Schouler Ramona Belted Suede Coat

Proenza Schouler Track Paneled Suede Sneakers

Proenza Schouler Yves Asymmetric Fringed Knitted Top

Proenza Schouler Yves Asymmetric Fringed Striped Knitted Maxi Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Essence. Proenza Schouler AW25

February 16, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Everyone wondered how will Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McColough mark their (still puzzling) departure from Proenza Schouler. They did with a beautiful, winter-y, yet sun-drenched lookbook photographed at Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center, featuring the ultimate Proenza girls. Binx Walton is wearing a lime-green pleated toga-dress while snow is melting in the background. Julia Nobis looks like the ultimate New York woman in a grey checked blazer, pin-striped shirt and over-sized corduroy balloon-pants. Mica Arganaraz emanates quirky cool in cowl neck dress. In their finale (co-directed with Lisa Muscatel, the long-time head of the design studio), Hernandez and McColough sublimate their signifiers and show us what Proenza Schouler really is in contemporary fashion (that wasn’t always the case with their recent work).

But what’s the future of the brand? Time (and its new CEO, Shira Suveyke Snyder) will tell.

ED’s SELECTION:

Sorel x Proenza Schouler Leather Rubber Chelsea Booties

Proenza Schouler Ruched Jersey-crepe Halterneck Maxi Dress

Proenza Schouler Intarsia Wool Sweater

Proenza Schouler Track Paneled Suede-trimmed Leather Sneakers

Proenza Schouler Arlo Shearling Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Reclaiming. Luar AW25

February 12, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Luar closed New York Fashion Week with a much-needed bang. Raul Lopez named his autumn-winter 2025 collection “Pato“. In Spanish, pato means duck, as in the bird, but in some parts of Latin America, such as Puerto Rico, it’s a homophobic slur. “I wanted to reclaim that word,” said Lopez. “Especially right now – I’m not going back in the closet for no one.” That powerful bravado was conveyed in a collection that was a powerful, dynamic homage to all the fashion patos that shaped Lopez’s imagination as a kid: think John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix. You could also sense Claude Montana’s influence. Major 1980s energy was all over these big shoulders, attitude-giving tailoring and extravagant feather brooches. A plastic, tape-like texture was a recurring motif. “It’s all hodgepodge,” Lopez explained. “The gay boy who’s at home playing with his mom’s jewelry, wrapping a towel around his head to pretend it’s hair, wants to wear a thigh high boot but just wraps a bunch of duct tape around his legs.” This week, fashion in New York had no voice. Until Lopez arrived with his vivacious outing.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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