Paris

Psychedelic Chic. Dries Van Noten SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

The Dries Van Noten collection is one I suspect I’ll appreciate more once it arrives in stores. Julian Klausner’s second outing for Papa’s brand was overall good, but somewhat… unresolved. He aimed to make the line-up feel joyful, easy, and optimistic – and he succeeded in that regard. To achieve it, he turned to surfing as his theme. “Being around surfers is always a good time,” the designer mused. A slouchy men’s jacket paired with red floral bermudas channeled a surf-chic spirit, as did the psychedelic prints – just as brilliant as those from Dries’ archives. And yet, despite the abundance of looks and myriad styling options, the collection still left me wanting something more.

ED’s SELECTION:

Dries Van Noten Gathered Satin-jersey Maxi Skirt


Dries Van Noten Cropped Crepe Blazer



Dries Van Noten Belted Intarsia Wool-blend Cardigan


Dries Van Noten Leather-trimmed Shell Sneakers

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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The Pain Of beauty. Matières Fécales SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Beauty is pain. But this pain is also an unstoppable force. The most heart-wrenching show of the season is now behind us. Matières Fécales’s Steven Raj Bhaskaran said of his partner, Hannah Rose Dalton: “Watching her walk out into the world every day, receiving such judgmental reactions toward her expression, makes me feel sad sometimes about the intolerance of the world around us. It sends a message that being different from the norm isn’t valued in this society – it’s usually degraded. Regardless, she keeps walking through the laughter, the pointing, the stares, and often, the aggression.”

Being different from the norm has always been fashion’s prerogative, especially for designers like Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Rick Owens. The duo behind Matières Fécales aim to continue that legacy by challenging conventional beauty standards: not only with their looks, but the multi-generational, diverse characters they cast in their shows. They unveiled their remarkable Spring–Summer 2026 collection at Place Vendôme – where else, if not at the very epitome of Parisian vanity? – a lineup filled with frayed tweeds à la Chanel, strong-shouldered riffs on Dior’s Bar jacket, and couture-inflected, corseted gowns that, from one angle, objectify the wearer to extremes, and from another, become a bulletproof shelter, an armor of sorts.

Bhaskaran and Dalton draw on fashion history directly, but with a fierce bravado. Their message is clear: in an industry where everything is expected to be commercial and sanitized, charging head-on into radical beauty is nothing less than an act of rebellion.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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French-Extreme. Saint Laurent SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

While watching the Saint Laurent livestream and seeing all the celebrities arrive, I couldn’t help but wonder: are they real? Do they walk on the same earth we mortals do? Those girls and boys feel so distant – so distanced. And that’s exactly how Anthony Vaccarello narrates his Saint Laurent. The outdoor show, staged against the Eiffel Tower and awash with white hydrangeas, could not have been more pompous or otherworldly – but that’s its appeal. As in Vaccarello’s recent collections, this one revisited themes from Saint Laurent’s archives, repeated and perfected over and over again to near death. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

SAINT LAURENT Tallulah Patent-leather Wedge Sandals


SAINT LAURENT Leather Jacket


SAINT LAURENT Leather Skirt


SAINT LAURENT Draped Wool-jersey Mini Dress

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Dolls in Paris. Vaquera SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

At the beginning of the month, I found myself thinking about how much Vaquera’s bravado and energy are missed in New York. Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee have now fully relocated their operations to Paris, and their affection for fun and fashion – both with capital “F’s” – has an intoxicating effect. You can’t help but smile when you see their fabulous hats swathed in netting, worn so nonchalantly with draped party frocks in clashing fabrics and over-the-top volumes. Keeping things lighthearted and doll-like, their mini-dresses (some in kitschy-chic prints) were really only half a dress, suspended from one side of a pointy cup bra and paired with track pants or a faux-fur skirt. The all-striped jersey look with a draped rosette on the shoulder? It’s a clear nod to Carrie Bradshaw in Paris, when she stepped out onto her Plaza Athénée hotel balcony to gaze at the Eiffel Tower. It’s safe to say that Paris now boasts two of New York’s finest – and utterly opposite – exports: The Row and Vaquera.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Objects With Souls. Hodakova SS26

| Design & Culture by Ed

I really love how wildly nonconforming – and delightfully nuts – the first day of Paris Fashion Week was. Similarly to Julie Kegels, Ellen Hodakova Larsson explores the theme of deconstruction. But in her hands, the approach takes a distinctly material-driven twist. In Hodakova’s world, garments – being wearable objects – possess souls of their own.

For spring, she reimagines leather furniture covers as bulbous, body-morphing dresses; transforms vintage bed linens into oversized slips; and repurposes deadstock handbag frames as bras. The highlight of the collection, however, was the series of finale looks, which nodded to folkloric craftsmanship in a mystical, ritualistic Midsommar-esque way. Here, Larsson collaborated with Joar Nilsson of Dacapo, a Swede who recently founded a school to preserve the thatching tradition in Skåne.

The thatched mini-dress immediately brought to mind Arkadius’ spring–summer 2001 collection, where the legendary Polish designer dissected Slavic rural themes. In Hodakova’s case, however, the energy felt distinctly Nordic.

 

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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