Brut. Maison Margiela AW25 Haute Couture

July 10, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Couture is the most archaic branch of fashion sensu lato, and this time around I really wondered if it shouldn’t be put to sleep – and wake up only when it has something meaningful to say again. Or at least when a prince – a new, revolutionary talent – emerges and gives it a kiss of life.

Glenn Martens certainly isn’t that prince. I’ve never been a number one Y/Project fan, and his Diesel isn’t my cup of tea either. So when the news broke that he’s the new creative director of Maison Margiela, you can imagine I wasn’t overly thrilled. After seeing his debut artisanal collection yesterday, all I thought was: damn, we’ve been really blessed to see John Galliano’s final act over a year ago (and we just didn’t deserve it).

To me, Martin Margiela isn’t just the ultimate fashion genius – but also a designer of silence. It took years for Galliano to get into that “silence”. Martens, who’s from a generation that studied Margiela at school, and whose work has been heavily influenced by Margiela since day one, is a “loud” designer. As in “pop-loud”.

That says a lot about why his first collection for the house lacked the soul-touching subtlety of Martin – or Galliano – and instead relied heavily on straightforward references, such as the masks. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Fin. Balenciaga AW25 Haute Couture

July 9, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

This haute couture season proves that fashion indeed needs a reset – and the seismic shift of designer departures and new appointments is a healthy cleanse of the system. Chanel’s final pre-Matthieu Blazy show, coming from the overstayed, post-Virgie Viard studio, looked and felt like a parade of dusty, beige utensils that found their way out of a cupboard. Demna‘s final act for Balenciaga, although high on farewell emotions, did convince me that it’s really time to move on. Whatever his Gucci will be, it should definitely operate on a different methodology than the one he created at Balenciaga. It’s understandable he chose to close his chapter at the maison with a collection that was one big bowl of reheated nachos, from the model casting (from synonymous-with-the-brand Isabelle Huppert to on-the-nose Kim Kardashian) to the line-up’s overall look, a Frankenstein hybrid cross-pollinated by the Georgian designer’s idiomatic volumes and proportions, and Cristobal’s archival tropes. But somehow I hoped Demna’s Balenciaga fin would be a one last conceptual stretch, like a dress made from hundreds of meters of taffeta draped on the model a few minutes before the show, or the memorable “Parliament” show.

Nevertheless, here’s to Demna’s new chapter at Gucci, and as for Pierpaolo Piccioli: the Balenciaga floor is yours.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sweet, Sweet Home. Celine SS26

July 7, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s no longer about appointing a big, legendary name – or, conversely, a total newcomer – to lead a fashion house. In Paris, two striking examples of homecoming designers are taking the industry by storm. First came Chemena Kamali, returning to Chloé after years away and revitalizing it into every girl’s dream once again. Then came Michael Rider, making his comeback at Celine. His debut yesterday felt like a sweet reawakening.

It might be pure coincidence that both designers once worked under Phoebe Philo, who, back in the day, led these two Parisian brands. Or maybe not.

Now, back to Rider and his debut – it awakened something in me. Feelings and emotions I used to experience every season when Celine was still Céline came rushing back. That certain unexplainable spark – one Philo has yet to fully rediscover at her namesake brand (don’t get me wrong – I love it, stan it, and support it wholeheartedly, but you know what I mean??). After the dull, pale, underfed, and frankly uninspired Middle Ages of Hedi Slimane’s reign at Celine, Rider’s confident, bold, and vibrant entrance just feels so right.

The American designer – who cut his teeth at Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga, then with Phoebe Philo at Céline (one of his greatest hits was the Yves Klein dress from spring-summer 2017, and a photo of him during the fitting is circulating on social media), and later as creative director at Ralph Lauren – very cleverly distilled Celine’s legacy into a single collection and made it feel entirely his own… READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collages by Edward Kanarecki.
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Marinière. Officine Générale SS26

July 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

For spring-summer 2026, Officine Générale‘s Pierre Mahéo was thinking about turning the essence of Parisian style to a wardrobe ready for sea-side summer. It’s defined by pajama-inflected tailoring, with scrunched sleeves and nonchalantly rolled cuffs, but most of all, per usual with Mahéo, a deep dive into ultra-light materials, like lightweight “parachute” poplin, seersucker, and, for men’s and women’s suiting, a breezy blend of cotton and linen. In addition to the eternally chic marinière – what French wardrobe would be complete without it? – shirts were cut long enough to double as dresses, popovers had universal appeal, and swingy belts were fashioned from raw fabric knotted and fringed like a lanyard. My favorite look involved olive-green pants with pleats, styled absolutely effortlessly with a striped top, light-blue shirt, a navy jacket, and a pair of flip-flops (the footwear staple that very abruptly became this year’s prime menswear discourse). The perfect summer look is right here.

ED’s SELECTION:

Officine Générale Nanni Nylon Bomber Jacket

Officine Générale Gingham Seersucker Button-Down Shirt

Officine Générale Sophie Italian Wool Pants

Officine Générale Alex Brushed Plaid Button Down Shirt

Officine Générale Giovanni Wool Sport Coat

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Awakened. Lemaire SS26

July 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Christophe Lemaire and Sarah Linh-Tran – who has given birth since the Lemaire show in January – wanted to deliver a collection that felt “awakened”. It certainly was awakened in terms of sensuality. The Lemaire man and woman are sheding cocooning layers and confidently reveal some flesh, a lot more leg. Think a super-chic crinkled leather, knee-length skirt worn with a blazer and a pair of mesh sock-sandal heels, or else silky culottes that gave baggy drawers a sensual spin. One look was especially unexpected: a beautiful lace dress in ochre, worn with an oversized trench coat and chestnut pumps. You don’t see lace frequently on the Lemaire runway, and it felt so right.