So Bad It’s Great. Valentino SS27

October 5, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

At first, I found Alessandro Michele’s latest Valentino collection so obnoxiously tacky that I was close to completely dismissing it. But then I went back to it. And again. And again. And I still can’t stop looking. I realised that, with all its va-va-voom, Michele is ferociously fighting the current status quo of fashion: the safer, the better. We are so indoctrinated with ideas of “good taste” that his collection feels like a much-needed danger – a slap on the wrist that shakes you up. The colours are gloriously pop and motley, the silhouettes delightfully old-school, and there’s something very, very enchanting about how profoundly un-modern this collection looks. In a fashion landscape obsessed with restraint, Michele is making a case for excess, awkwardness and sheer visual pleasure. It’s so bad, it’s great.

ED’s SELECTION:

Valentino Garavani Bow-detailed Gathered Satin-trimmed Wool-crepe Jacket

Valentino Garavani Printed Lace-trimmed Cotton T-shirt

Valentino Garavani Bowow 45 Bow-embellished Velvet Pumps

Valentino. A Grand Italian Epic by Taschen

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

Valentino Garavani Embellished Satin-trimmed Cropped Cotton-blend Velvet Peplum Top

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

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Boutique-ness. Courrèges SS27

October 4, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

I actually really liked Drew Henry’s debut at Courrèges. This is possibly one of the most difficult houses to make sense of in the 21st century. His predecessors either went blindly too space-age or focused solely on the vinyl jacket. Nicolas Di Felice seemed to have the vision, but I always thought the brand wouldn’t mind a little more warmth.

Henry, a Phoebe Philo alum, approached it with a certain boutique-ness, which is a rarity in Paris lately, where everything must be bigger and louder. It feels like something you would look for in a small shop somewhere in France, where the owner is named Françoise or Francine, has the best style in the world, and however hard you try, you will never dress like her (but you can try!).

There were very chic-looking colour-block jackets and pea coats in a 1960s cut that wasn’t too on-the-nose; an otherwise simple look of a black T-shirt and yellow pants sharpened with a pair of driving gloves; a quirky little hat here and there. The male models wearing the signature André Courrèges A-line mini dresses? It felt like a spontaneous, not-overthought decision that just radically worked. Something is germinating in this house again. Just please give it time to bud.

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

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Pleasures of Spontainety. Celine SS27

October 4, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Celine’s Michael Rider is interested in reality, but he sees it through a light-hearted lens. His first collections at the brand were exercises in untamed eclecticism, but always with a theory behind them. For spring, the direction feels a little more regal, yet never cold. There’s a tulip-shaped black dress, an embellished satin-finish coat with the fullness of a ball gown. And then, a second later, the mood changes: very eternal beige cashmere sweater worn with cognac leather, or a black velvet suit with a vintage-y printed T-shirt underneath. Classics, made to be worn and lived in, and not be overly precious about. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

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Unspoken. Chloé SS27

October 3, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

There was something beautifully unspoken about Chemena Kamali’s latest collection for Chloé. On one hand, it played with notions of girlish innocence – all that white broderie anglaise – but there was also a certain fetishistic undercurrent. The PVC trenches were kind of kinky, giving the lineup a daring quality that kept it from feeling too straightforward.

Kamali looked back at her own past at Chloé, particularly the spring 2002 collection she worked on during Phoebe Philo’s tenure. Hence the memorable openwork details, the suits with a certain powerful stance to them (but never too masculine), finished with one big statement necklace, and that particular taste for the risqué that the maison embodied at the time – very Paris-meets-London. But this wasn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. Looking at the collection, all you could see was a woman who feels free.

ED’s SELECTION:

Chloé Lace-trimmed Crinkled Silk-satin Top

Chloé Junie Leather-trimmed Tpu Mules

Chloé Gayia Aviator-style Tortoiseshell Acetate Sunglasses

Chloé Paddington Python-effect Locket-detail Shoulder Bag

Chloé Wool-crepe Straight-leg Pants

Chloé Suzie Ruched Floral-print Satin Sandals

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

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American Style. Polo Ralph Lauren SS27

October 3, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

And just like that, for the second season in a row, Polo Ralph Lauren’s presentation is one of the best things to happen during Paris Fashion Week. Along with Celine’s Michael Rider (who previously designed at Polo) and The Row’s Olsen twins, Karen Brown Body is leading the pack of Americans conquering Paris – and the tastes of the Old Continent.

But we’re no longer talking about revisiting preppy here. Polo’s senior brand creative director is finding a new way to tell the story of American style, one that effortlessly brings together the dressed-up polish of the Upper East Side and the laid-back spirit of Malibu surfers. And yes, she does it in a way that makes the Parisian fashion crowd drool with excitement.

White jackets and tuxedo shirts worn with red swimsuit bottoms and flip-flops; madras checks contrasted with faded Hawaiian florals; an otherwise very elegant ensemble completely loosened up with strings of coral and a cap. This is 100% Ralph Lauren’s language, but done in a way that feels modern, desirable and, crucially, easy to repeat at home. And what I love most about Polo’s renaissance is that, even as its shows move to Paris, the brand stays true to its affordable price range.