Debonair Cool. Magda Butrym Pre-Fall 2026

January 27, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Introducing Magda Butrym’s pre-fall 2026 lookbook: an updated wardrobe imbued with a modern sense of urgency.

In this latest pre-collection, Magda reflects on the meaning of elegance – something fragile and subtle, expressed as much through attitude as through form. For the Warsaw-based designer, elegance is refined yet spontaneous, sophisticated but never complicated. It is about impeccably constructed garments in which a woman can move and feel at ease, never constrained. They carry an unmistakable, debonair cool. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Credits:

Creative Director: Magda Butrym
Photographer: Robin Galiegue
Video: Tatiana + Karol
Stylist: Jacob Kjeldgaard
Talents: Karyna Maziar, Athiec Geng, Kris Krystal
Styling Assistant: Ioana Ivan
Make-Up: Lucy J. Bridge
Hair: Damien Boissinot
Nails: Marzena Kanclerska
Set Design: Anna Szczęsny
Art Coordinator: Edward Kanarecki
Casting: Piergiorgio at DM Casting

ED’s SELECTION:

Magda Butrym Crocheted Cotton Hat

Magda Butrym Embroidered Cotton-blend Jacket

Magda Butrym Ruched Floral-print Stretch-silk Mock-neck Top

Magda Butrym Studded Snake-effect Leather Wedge Mules

Magda Butrym Brigitte Embellished Suede Tote

Magda Butrym Crocheted Cotton Mini Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Mumbo-Jumbo. Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2026

January 15, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

The more I live, the more I understand that compromise isn’t a good thing. And that becomes evident in Pierpaolo Piccioli’s second attempt at Balenciaga. You might remember that I wasn’t satisfied with what I saw at his debut. Yet I thought, with sincere hope, that first tries are difficult and that the next season would be better. And here we are with the brand’s co-ed pre-fall 2026 lookbook: a collection that once again feels like a chaotic mash-up of Demna, Nicolas Ghesquière, and – oh lord – Alexander Wang’s era at the house. The merchandise floor was far too involved in designing this collection, seemingly trying to please everyone at Kering. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

Balenciaga Le City Medium Textured-leather Tote

Balenciaga Belted Plush Coat

Balenciaga Avenue Palazzo Crystal-embellished Bow-detailed Satin Sandals

Balenciaga Cat-eye Printed Acetate Sunglasses

Balenciaga Cape-effect Floral-print Plissé-crepe Gown

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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New Look. Dior Pre-Fall 2026

December 21, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jonathan Anderson’s new look for Dior continues to intrigue – and puzzle. Women’s pre-fall 2026 is already his fourth collection, which sounds quite absurd given that the first Dior pieces designed by Anderson will only start hitting stores in January at the earliest. But this is how the industry works. We’ve seen his neo-preppy menswear debut over the summer, followed by pre-fall just over a week ago. His women’s debut during the last Paris Fashion Week still leaves me on the fence, even though certain details are gradually growing on me. The lookbook released this week seems to reveal more about how Anderson envisions the Dior woman, stripped of runway spectacle and contrived styling. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Cleanse. Valentino Pre-Fall 2026

December 13, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Remember Alessandro Michele’s debut collection for Gucci – the one created in less than a month? Despite its sumptuous, vintage-inflected richness, it was ultimately minimalist, in much the same way a Pre-Raphaelite painting can be. Now creative director of Valentino for nearly two years, Michele appears to be deliberately moving toward a “less is more” mode, however paradoxical that may sound given his well-known affection for dramatic grandeur.

His poetic spring-summer 2026 collection offered the first indication of this reductionist—yet still deeply romantic – direction, and pre-fall 2026 continues that trajectory. A lilac polka-dot tunic layered over a sheer lace slip, a regal grey cape-coat fastened with a butterfly brooch, and a Valentino-red evening dress stripped of all excess save for a single, incisive drape exemplify this new restraint.

Michele has described this process as a gradual “cleansing” of his relationship with the house, an attempt to find equilibrium between excess and austerity. He has acknowledged that his approach to Valentino’s legacy is deeply personal and, for some, even unsettling, given the unmistakable strength of his hand. Yet he sees the pre-fall lookbook as a moment of convergence between himself and the brand – a space in which he feels markedly more at ease. In his words, it is irreverent and uncomfortable in precisely the right measure, suggesting that he has “disrespected” the house just enough to finally allow it to breathe. Such self-reflection (and self-criticism) is rare among contemporary fashion designers, and Michele’s candour deserves recognition.

The collection’s line-up of Bambi-printed jackets, boudoir-inspired lace separates, and blunt denim miniskirts is sharpened further by his first reinterpretation of Valentino’s “Rockstud” – arguably one of the most divisive shoes in modern fashion. In Michele’s hands, it becomes metal-tipped, ankle-strapped, shaper, and balanced on a pin-thin heel. I remain undecided about the result, but Michele’s work has always demanded time to fully resonate.

ED’s SELECTION:

Valentino Garavani Bead-embellished Embroidered High-rise Straight-leg Jeans

Valentino Garavani Ribbed Silk Top

Valentino Garavani Feather-trimmed Satin Midi Skirt

Valentino Garavani Vlogo Stud-embellished Leather Sandals

Valentino Garavani Bracelet in Metal, Enamel and Swarovski Crystals

Valentino Garavani Strapless Pleated Ruffled Polka-dot Silk-chiffon Gown

Valentino Garavani Bowow 45 Bow-embellished Leather Pumps

Valentino Garavani Gold-tone, Crystal, Faux Pearl And Resin Earrings

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Beauty, Awaken. Lanvin Pre-Fall 2026

December 12, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Nearly a year has passed since Peter Copping’s debut at Lanvin. In that time, he has managed to reawaken the beauty of a brand that had been in a coma since Alber Elbaz’s glory days. For pre-fall 2026, the creative director of the oldest operating French maison pursued a refined elegance that feels comforting in its powerful discipline – while also delving deeper into Jeanne Lanvin’s history.

Not many people know that Venice holds a particular significance in the house’s chronicles. It was here that Jeanne traveled with her niece, Marianne, buying fabrics and visiting glass workshops. Archival photographs show Madame Lanvin in a white jacket and a black skirt falling just below the knee – a silhouette she favored whenever she visited the city on the water. That ensemble found its way into Copping’s pre-collection, looking contemporary and desirable.

Alongside creative meditations on Mariano Fortuny’s pleats and Murano glass beads, Copping also introduced striking double-flared silhouettes, ornamented capelets, and tweed tailoring featuring a skirt pinched with a brooch. One velvet column gown in ink black is dramatically gathered by a modernist, brooch-like embellishment. This one felt absolutely Parisian, “chic ultime“.

So far, Copping is offering Lanvin a truly exquisite vision.