Sensual Harness. Hermès SS26

October 19, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

H is for heritage, H is for Hermès.

Thanks to @dariagraczykowska, I had the immense pleasure of seeing – and touching – the brand’s spring–summer 2026 collection at its Parisian showroom. You can imagine my delight during the grand tour, as I found Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski’s latest collection to be one of her best yet.

Why? Because it channeled a newfound sensuality that felt as tough as the cognac-hued leathers and as feminine as the silk-printed scarves that covered the models’ breasts, tied meticulously beneath butter-soft harnesses. Vanhée-Cybulski drew inspiration from the Camargue – home to the white horses used by the region’s manadiers to herd bulls. Hence, the revisited equestrian aesthetic: bohemian in its play with vibrant prints, yet bourgeois in its solid composure.

A saddle from the Camargue, studied in Hermès’s conservatoire, led the creative director to design this season’s sublime leather corsets in earthy tones, worn with quilted riding jackets or styled over bandeaus. The reimagined corsets – evoking something of Christian Lacroix’s bravado, yet perfectly attuned to contemporary times – looked killer-chic when paired with matching leather pencil skirts and the most impeccable riding boots. I also loved the utilitarian jumpsuits and that one brown leather coat with rounded shoulders.

These clothes – and accessories, from the sumptuous suede Birkin to archival models revisited in thick canvas – are made to be worn and lived in, without fear of a little dirt along the way to your destination. Hermès crafts some of the most exquisite pieces in the world, and I found it truly intriguing – and subversive – that Nadège embraced the less glossier, more real attitude about them.

ED’s SELECTION:

Rouge Hermes Matte Lipstick

Rose Hermes Silky Blush Powder

Rouge Hermès Lipstick Limited Edition Rose Primaire

Les Mains Hermes Nail Enamel

Trait d’Hermes Lip Pencil

Rouge Hermès, Silky Lipstick Shine

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Proenza Boys. Loewe SS26

October 17, 2025 | 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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Wearable Twist. Carven SS26

October 17, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mark Thomas takes center stage at Carven after serving as Louise Trotter’s right hand – and his spring-summer 2026 line-up stands out as one of the most authentic and integrity-filled collections of the entire season. Together, he and Trotter had successfully positioned the French maison as a safe space for women who feel their best in minimalism that is sensual, off-beat, and warm – less serious than Phoebe Philo’s and more easy-going than The Row’s. Now that Trotter has moved on to the candy shop called Bottega Veneta, Thomas holds the heritage of Madame Carven entirely in his own hands.

Some of the looks – including a subtle silk print, a semi-sheer jacquard dress, and, more generally, a few of the déshabillé silhouettes – could be traced back to a white orchid that Madame Carven developed with botanist Marcel Lecoufle in 1993. The British designer has also revisited Carven’s sculptural “Esperanto” silhouette in a brilliantly modern way: a white safari-style jacket with zipper accents and ruffled trims featured that unmistakably chic, cinched-at-the-waist cut. An obvious top-seller for next season – just like the strikingly cool white slip dress with its oversized, “misfitting” bodice, or the lightweight black trench buttoned all the way to the top.

That’s precisely the kind of product that makes women fall in love with contemporary Carven: wearable, but always with a flirty twist.

ED’s SELECTION:

CARVEN Layered Cotton-gauze Gown

CARVEN Silk-jersey T-shirt

CARVEN Silk-satin Midi Skirt

CARVEN Knotted Leather Mules

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

October 16, 2025 | 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

October 16, 2025 | 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.