Paris Fashion Week

Proenza Boys. Loewe SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough’s debut collection for Loewe opened with a few sleek ideas – one of them being hourglass-shaped jackets in plasticine hues, paired with swimwear-inspired bodysuits. Yet, as the beach-and-surf-themed collection unfolded, something seemed to get lost in translation, particularly with the wrapped dresses designed to mimic towels.

This line-up was certainly a step ahead of much of what the duo produced during their later years at Proenza Schouler. Still, it didn’t quite feel like an essential or definitive introduction to their new chapter at Loewe. Yes, Loewe hails from sunny Spain, and scuba-diver silhouettes do align with a Balearic escapade – but overall, the collection felt somewhat flat and superfluous, especially after years of Jonathan Anderson’s incessant sophistication.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Damaged Beauty. Comme Des Garçons SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

My Paris Fashion Week ritual? Paying a visit to the Comme des Garçons showroom. It’s like Sunday church – or a moment of epiphany.

This season, Rei Kawakubo intentionally “damaged” materials to create something raw and radical. Artisan lace was shredded. Jute and brocade received the rough, John Chamberlain treatment. Anything once considered precious was mistreated without mercy. The result: heart-wrenching beauty – a vision that captures the pain of the contemporary world, silences the omnipresent noise, and transforms imperfection into absolute power. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Cool Restraint. Alaïa SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Pieter Mulier’s spring–summer 2026 collection for Alaïa felt like a welcome palette cleanser after last season’s alien-like padded rolls and body-morphing silhouettes. Not that he has abandoned his fascination with silhouette manipulation – the latest collection’s body-enveloping cocoon dresses made the models appear even taller, their figures elongated and almost stretched. Yet there was a distinct sense of harmony and restraint this time: the not-overworked, high-necked jackets and crisp top-slash-mini-dresses exuded confidence rather than spectacle.

Some looks – particularly the zipped-up leather blouson paired with a fringed scarf, or the shaggy ecru coat – had a touch of Phoebe Philo’s sensibility (which only made me wish even more for her to finally do runway). This influence, however, served the collection well, keeping it grounded and unfussy.

Azzedine Alaïa was a devoted believer in the “less is more” philosophy. Mulier seems to be taking notes.

ED’s SELECTION:

Alaïa Gold-tone Hoop Earrings


Alaïa Cotton-poplin Barrel-leg Pants


Alaïa Double-breasted Wool-gabardine Blazer


Alaïa Le Click E/w Small Leather Shoulder Bag


Alaïa Laser-cut Suede Ballet Flats

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Silhouette. The Row Pre-Fall 2026

| Design & Culture by Ed

The Row has achieved a rare level of distinctiveness shared only by designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Giorgio Armani: you don’t need to see the full collection – just the silhouettes from afar – to know it’s theirs. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen maintained their signature no-photos policy at their intimate Paris presentation, and the images released for the pre-fall 2026 collection are neither lookbook nor editorial. They are supremely elegant black-and-white portraits of the models (and their comb-adorned hair) and the garments, photographed in the traditional, old-school couture way: front, side, back.

The collection features sublime sack dresses (which make Pierpaolo Piccioli’s attempts at Balenciaga look even more unfortunate), an absolutely heavenly full skirt with a beautifully cinched waist, airy balloon pants that convey sophistication rather than laziness, and a handful of crisp cotton shirts, probably meticulously studied on Charvet.

Once again, the photos reveal little – you can’t fully appreciate the subtle embroideries or sequin work – but they show silhouettes that unmistakably speak one name: The Row.

ED’s SELECTION:

The Row Vika Leather Sandals


The Row Lucja Oversized Belted Shearling Coat


The Row Violetta Asymmetric Paneled Silk-crepe Gown


The Row Idro Oversized Cotton-blend Corduroy Shirt


The Row Irene Lace-trimmed Silk-charmeuse Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Exaggerated Body. Jean Paul Gaultier SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Duran Lantink’s debut for Jean Paul Gaultier is a collection I’m still making up my mind about. For me, the core of the Gaultier brand has been utterly diffused by the revolving door of guest designers, each coming in for a single couture collection every six months. At this point, the brand could be almost anything.

On one hand, I think it was a wise choice for Duran not to revive Jean Paul’s archives too literally. On the other, this collection revealed that his own repertoire still feels somewhat limited. It could just as easily have been a Duran Lantink show – and honestly, it might have made more sense that way. The razor-sharp cut-outs, the “Lumps and Bumps”-inspired silhouette manipulations, the op-art stripes, the bodysuits printed with a haired male corpse – it’s all Duran through and through, like it or not. But we’ve already seen most of these ideas play out, in slightly different variations, within his own brand. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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