SS25

Real, Raw, Sexy. Eckhaus Latta SS25

| Design & Culture by Ed

I’ve said it before, I will say it again: the Eckhaus Latta duo have and bring what Helmut Lang had and brought to New York at the turn of millennium. Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta‘s clothes are sexy without trying too hard; they have a sense of style that’s real; and they have that raw honesty about them. Their spring-summer 2025 collection is so far one of the biggest highlights of New York Fashion Week – and has actual clothes one wants to wear (I do!). Eckhaus Latta is a go-to brand for not-so-average knits, and they remained a standout in the latest offering. There’s also the element of playfulness about the labels’ pieces. They invite you to wear them whatever way you want. “I think both of us are very drawn to that sample sale vibe of, ‘there’s something that looks like a pile of rope on a hanger,’” Latta explains. “We’re like, ‘What is it?’ Obviously we have to deal with the idea of hanger appeal, but I think for us, letting these things have a kind of mutability and playfulness, like the scrunches in all these different ways, feels inherent to our curiosity.” Another big thumbs-up goes to the lookbook imagery where you really see how the clothes work on (and with) the body. Of course, there was a fashion show – or rather, a fashion happening – where friends of Eckhaus Latta had dinner and later did an impromptu runway parade. It looked genuinely fun. This brand seems to be one of the few in New York that knows what’s up.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Lost Plot. Khaite SS25

| Design & Culture by Ed

One good thing about Khaite‘s latest collection: it wasn’t shown in some dimmed, cavernous space like in the past couple of seasons. You could finally see the clothes on the runway. But you also saw how Catherine Holstein‘s brand is dangerously losing its plot. There’s just too much of ideas coming from The Row (high-necked collars, voluminous organza dresses) and Lucie and Luke Meier’s Jil Sander (macrame dresses, the overall “soft minimalism” styling). It’s very difficult to distinguish what’s distinctly Khaite about this line-up, even if it seemed to be one of Holstein’s most daring, experimental concepts to date. However at this price-point, one wants to see authentic ideas from a brand.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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América. Willy Chavarria SS25

| Design & Culture by Ed

In New York, brands either do clothes for the sake of clothes or create fashion that has a meaning (but then the “clothes-making” part often stumbles). Willy Chavarria is a rare example of a designer who does both seamlessly, creating garments that are amazingly tailored but also give you real food for thought. In his spring-summer 2025 fashion show, the models walked out, in a single file, with the American flag as the monumental backdrop. What came across was a voluminous yet exact silhouette that was a callback to the uniforms of the American working class – hotel workers, concierges, construction people, foremen. And so there were balloon sleeves on classic zip-up jackets, tonal shirt and tie combos, cotton duck work fabric turned into tailored Victorian jackets with princess sleeves or baggy cargo skirts, and really good denim pieces . Many of the looks were accessorized with a set of keys – and a little crucifix – dangling from a belt loop. Within the context of the show it seemed like a plea for America – or rather “América“, as the collection was titled – to be more like the promised land everyone imagines it to be. “This [season] is all about power to the people,” Chavarría said. “It’s this country through the voice of the immigrants, and the people who make this motherfucker run.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Apparent Ease. Alaïa SS25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Alaïa was another show in New York that left me somewhat hungry for more. Pieter Mulier‘s took the Parisian maison to Guggenheim, as a contemporary (and very high-gloss) hommage to Azzedine Alaïa’s 1982 show at the Palladium nightclub. The spring-summer 2025 collection referenced a couple of the master’s knock-out designs: think 2001 couture asymmetric draped number hanging on one strap or the cut-out bustiers that became the brand’s signature (Mulier was evidently inspired by the forms of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building). The Belgian creative director also invited some ideas that were born in New York: bandeaus and haute “sweatpants” were riffs on Halston’s 1970s jerseys, sculpted puffer jackets were obviously inspired by Charles James, one of Alaïa’s favorite designers. There was lightness and apparent ease about this collection that was absolutely luxe in its execution. And it was an experiment for Mulier, who has created a sort of well-tested comfort-zone in Paris when it comes to his sublime shows there. I just wish he dared to push it a bit more than just referencing familiar and pretty well-known codes of both Alaïa and New York fashion.

Here are some Alaïa goodies you just don’t want to miss.

ED’s SELECTION:

“Peter Lindbergh. Azzedine Alaïa” book


Alaïa Balloon-Leg Pleated Trousers


Alaïa Dome 32 Top-Handle Bag in Leather


Alaïa Leopard Jacquard Boxy Bodysuit


Alaïa Goldtone Layered Leaf Necklace



Alaïa Perforated Leather Ballerina Flats

 

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Aspects of Love. Horror Vacui SS25

| Design & Culture by Ed

Munich-based Horror Vacui started out in 2012 as a brand selling vibrant sleeping gowns (for day and night), airy tops and oversized shirt-dresses in patterned silks and crisp Egyptian cottons. More than a decade in the business, the brand now offers an entire wardrobe, aesthetically rooted in Anna Heinrichs‘ vintage obsessions. Her spring-summer 2025 collection, shown during Berlin Fashion Week, is dedicated to all aspects of love, especially that of her mother and father who have both passed away within a year. The show opened with two looks in all-over black, which is an absolute rarity in the colorful world of the label. But the designs that followed made it clear that the beauty of her parents’ story was the focus rather than mourning. Translated from Latin, Horror Vacui describes a fear of emptiness, however this 10th anniversary collection was not barren or deflated, but full of love. The craftsmanship of Heinrichs’s honeycomb smocking, Froschgoscherl pleating, and the brand’s signature wavy trims are stunning. These are arts that have been passed down through generations and, too, are bound together by love. The designer upheld her sustainable approach to the collection, which, as always, was produced exclusively with Liberty of London fabrics, only this season she only used remnants from the last 10 years. One quilted patchwork design was even made from 100 different fabrics. When asked whether the numerous hearts running through many of the designs were not too obvious for such a conceptual collection, Heinrichs replied: “Yes, it’s quite naive. But that’s me. I like it when people smile. I don’t want to be cool, I want my fashion to evoke memories. Be they of family members, your own childhood, or just a beautiful moment in life.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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