Generic. Calvin Klein Collection SS26

September 13, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

New York Fashion Week is here, and I’m confused: why does generic minimalism have to dominate this city so relentlessly? Everyone wants to be the next Halston (or The Row), but in reality, it’s not as simple as it looks. As LEWIS’S wrote, minimalism is “the most difficult aesthetic to achieve” and it “demands the highest precision and a mastery of the fundamentals of design”. Contemporary New York–based designers should print these words out and pin them to their studio walls.

Especially Veronica Leoni, creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. Spring–Summer 2026 marks her sophomore season, and it falters just as much as her debut. What bothers me most is how unedited and unresolved it feels – particularly considering Leoni has the ‘luxury’ of presenting just two runway collections a year, a privilege many designers can only dream of. Her latest offering resembles COS staging runway shows: an exhaustive survey of current trends, watered down and labeled ‘minimal.’ But here’s the issue: COS is an ambitious high-street brand, while Calvin Klein Collection positions itself as a high-luxury label. At those price points, the last thing you want is a diluted mélange of Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter’s Carven, the Meiers’ Jil Sander, and even Maximilian Davis’ Ferragamo.

The only authentic moment on Leoni’s runway was the Canadian tuxedo, worn by a blond male model who could have stepped straight out of a Richard Avedon ad. That look is quintessentially Calvin Klein – but the catch is, you already find that product in the ‘mainstream’ line, where Bad Bunny and Cooper Koch flaunt their jewels. And here we hit another of Leoni’s major problems: the utter disconnect between her collection and what Calvin Klein represents to contemporary, mainstream audiences. Those logo waistbands repurposed into a faux-intrecciato dress and sunglasses do nothing to bridge the gap.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Fresh Air. Proenza Schouler SS26

September 11, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

The first debut – out of more than a dozen still ahead – is now behind us. Well, sort of. Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, just stepped into Proenza Schouler, presenting her first dialogue with the brand’s design team. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although Scott’s contribution to this collection must have been rather brief, she managed to inject more vitality into Proenza than Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough did in the past decade. The founders and former creative directors of the once-quintessentially-New-York-cool label struggled for years to revive their brainchild. Instead, they leaned too heavily on the aesthetics of The Row and Bottega Veneta, while borrowing too many cues from Helmut Lang and Phoebe Philo. The result: Proenza Schouler devolved into a generically minimal brand, catering to women who would just as soon shop with the Olsens.

Scott, however, brought a breath of fresh air in the very first moments of the spring–summer 2026 presentation. What struck me most were the leather laser-cut pieces – especially a t-shirt styled with ochre briefs and mint-green, over-the-knee boots crafted from a sheer, organza-like material. The floral prints exploded like vibrant fireworks, while a bright orange turtleneck sweater radiated cool.

In some ways, you could still catch glimpses of the old Proenza Schouler – colorful, bold, and rooted in an experimental play with layers and textures. I only wish the collection felt more fully resolved; but then again, this wasn’t a true debut, more of a first taste of what’s still to come.

One thing is certain: Scott needs to define exactly who the Proenza Schouler woman is.

ED’s SELECTION:

Proenza Schouler Ramona Belted Suede Coat

Proenza Schouler Track Paneled Suede Sneakers

Proenza Schouler Yves Asymmetric Fringed Knitted Top

Proenza Schouler Yves Asymmetric Fringed Striped Knitted Maxi Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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For Giorgio. Soshiotsuki SS26

September 4, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

The news of Giorgio Armani’s passing is heartbreaking. What lifts my spirit, however, is knowing that his legacy – a body of work spanning five decades – will live on forever, especially in the work of younger generations of designers who have studied Armani since their teens.

*Giorgio Armani photographed by Juergen Teller for System Magazine.*

It must be some astro-numerological coincidence that yesterday Soshi Otsuki won the LVMH Prize. His Tokyo-based label, Soshiotsuki, is rooted in tailoring – one inspired by the sartorial craftsmanship of the 1980s, but filtered through a distinctly Japanese perspective. His suits, elegantly draping the body – always smooth yet refined – would surely make Mr. Armani proud.

In his delightful spring–summer 2026 collection, Otsuki mesmerizes and intrigues with nearly invisible details that make all the difference. For instance, extra fabric is built into the inside placket of a shirt to suggest a tucked-in necktie, which could be hidden or revealed depending on how it was buttoned. Deadstock kimono silk was repurposed into button-up shirts, while 1980s cotton-washi fabric was used for much of the tailoring – recalling the glamour and prosperity of Japan’s Bubble Era, a moment in time the designer enjoys riffing on.

What’s fascinating about Soshiotsuki is that the clothes don’t feel “vintage,” but utterly contemporary – and in a strikingly handsome way. That sensibility resonates with the final collections Giorgio Armani presented in recent Milan Fashion Weeks, which we were fortunate enough to witness.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Poison Ivy. ERL SS26

July 28, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Eli Russell Linnetz just knows what’s right in the moment. Actually, he creates the moment. Fashion’s current obsession with vintage American prep? ERL did that seasons ago, and created a contemporary playbook dedicated to that trope. Flip-flops? The shoe of the season in the Californian designer’s hands became a whole new statement. Now, Linnetz is ready to explore codes of classical menswear and (poisonous) masculinity. Argyle sweaters, cotton boxers, and grandpa-style knits all got the ERL treatment for spring-summer 2026, with deliberate proportion updates (tapering at the waist, tight at the biceps, and stretched across the chest). The relaxed tailoring could easily be an object of Aldo Fallai’s Giorgio Armani campaigns in the 1980s. But through Linnetz’s lens – literally, because he shoots all the ERL visuals – you can perceive something slightly disturbing, yet absolutely elusive about Christian and Ivy’s, the look-book’s heroes, dynamic. Christian is the king of campus, and Ivy would give anything to be around him – or be him, rather, in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” kind of way. Linnetz’s story follows Ivy as he embeds himself into Christian’s inner circle, with his admiration turning sour and then poisonous, subsequently culminating in an act of violence. Now imagine giving Eli Russell an opportunity to not only design costumes, but also direct a feature film. Cooper Koch could easily be the lead act.

ED’s SELECTION:

ERL Men’s Striped Jersey T-Shirt

ERL Men’s Indiana Baggy Jeans

ERL Cropped Ribbed-knit Cardigan

COS Eva Flip Flops

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Phoebe Philo Collection D

July 23, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

I was just about to (finally) start writing my Venice guide when I saw a new email in my inbox: Collection D. This could only mean one thing – Phoebe Philo had dropped the preview of her new collection on a random Tuesday, off-schedule, without warning. Sometimes, Mercury retrograde brings good things too.

Spontaneous things are the best things. Whether it’s travel, making art, or cooking, letting yourself act on an untamed impulse often delivers (and rewards with) the most satisfaction. It seems to me that Philo has relearned how to let herself go. Her latest collection marks a sharp departure from the strictness and control that defined her earlier namesake offerings. Even the lookbook’s warm lighting and the models’ relaxed poses signal a vibe shift, a mood swing into… joy. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.