Nobody Is Fun Anymore. Fendi AW26

February 28, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

For some strange reason, I had hoped that Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut at Fendi would surprise us all with something genuinely fun (believe it or not, once upon a time Fendi was fun – before Kim Jones turned it into yet another beige Italian brand). But there was no trace of that spirit on her runway. At least, it was nowhere to be seen beyond a passing statement in the press release.

It seems that the only thing distinguishing Maria Grazia’s current mindset from her years at Dior is a looser relationship to a unifying theme. Her Fendi woman is slightly less uptight – perhaps. Yet this newly found “chill” made the latest collection resemble Zadig & Voltaire more than Fendi: slip dresses, military references, velvet jackets, denim – the building blocks of a rather dated understanding of “cool.”

And the menswear? Perhaps because Chiuri hasn’t designed menswear in decades, it ended up being one of the most compelling aspects of the collection. Funnily enough, in her universe, men are allowed to wear more fabulous furs than women.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Back To The Good Times. Conner Ives AW26

February 24, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

What I love about Conner Ives’s latest collection is how unfussy, unpretentious, and effortless it feels – while remaining absolutely glamorous. The designer drew inspiration from Weimar-era Berlin: a time of freedom and untamed expression, a moment of societal shift, and the rise of a queer community that helped shape modern art. Echoes of the 1920s came alive in Ives’s low-waisted dresses with fringed hems and sleeves, as well as in a phenomenal fur-trimmed silk coat adorned with chinoiserie motifs. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

Conner Ives Appliquéd Stretch-micro Modal Jersey Midi Skirt

Conner Ives Recycled-twill Vest

Conner Ives Jellyfish Asymmetric Ruffled Bamboo-blend Jersey Top

Conner Ives Fluted Checked Cotton-blend Gauze Midi Dress

Conner Ives Ruched Stretch-jersey And Silk Mini Dress

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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The Narcissist. THEVXLLEY AW26

February 23, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Creatives like Daniel Del Valle remind us why London Fashion Week – even at its weakest – still matters. The 2026 LVMH Prize semi-finalist and founder of THEVXLLEY does not call himself a designer, nor does he classify his brainchild as a fashion brand in the traditional sense. His latest work, “The Narcissist”, is a collection of wearable art that has been three years in the making.

A former florist, Del Valle drew on the world of fleeting beauty to create body-morphing garments: monumental porcelain vases were transformed into bodices; delicate cropped sweaters and tops were bound with branches or burst forth with bouquets; an artisanal T-shirt was crafted from a literal mosaic depicting blooming tulips; and a hand-painted dress adorned with ornate orbs evolved into a three-dimensional tableau vivant. When flowers were not integrated into the wearable vases, they shot out from the models’ heels, were strapped to their feet, and trailed behind them in a scatter of petals.

There was something profoundly heart-wrenching about the collection – so fragile, yet so defiant. At a time when everything in London can feel calculated and commercial, THEVXLLEY rekindles the spirit of dreamlike experimentation that defined the great fashion conceptualists of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Eccentric Elegance. Emilia Wickstead AW26

February 22, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Days of London Fashion Week have passed under the sign of general underwhelm. The first collection I genuinely found worthy of attention was Emilia Wickstead’s.

Known and loved by her loyal clientele for her regal approach to old-school elegance, the designer lets her horses loose this season, sending her typically uptight (and always impeccably dressed) woman off to work with her hands. Channeling a Buñuel-era heroine, the archetype Wickstead envisioned was embodied by Fano Messan, actress and part-time sculptor: a woman of many trades, wearing a paint-splattered apron over an evening dress, unmoved by societal norms and intent on living life on her own terms.

The result is a collection of exceptional, assured tailoring that radiates ease – 1950s boarding-school tweed dresses with roomy pockets layered over denim, and ball gowns in wallpaper florals grounded by chunky sweaters made for the moors rather than soirées. It is not the first time Wickstead has taken notes from Miuccia Prada – particularly in the cropped red skirt suit styled with monk-strap shoes and socks – but she can be forgiven. She adopts those “ugly chic” cues thoughtfully, and they feel entirely at home within her distinctly British universe.

At heart, Wickstead is an eccentric who loves the classics just as much as she enjoys subverting them. She is not the only designer in London working in this vein, but compared with, say, Erdem, her results feel markedly sharper, mercifully free of ornamental frou-frou.

ED’s SELECTION:

Emilia Wickstead Ilyse Cutout Cloqué Midi Dress

Emilia Wickstead Kerina Strapless Sequined Metallic Tweed Bustier Top

Emilia Wickstead Tiffany Layered Floral-print Faille Midi Dress

Emilia Wickstead x Grenson Grenda Tasseled Fringed Leather Loafers

Emilia Wickstead Bethan Layered Polka-dot Recycled-organza And Faille Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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The Void. ERL AW26

February 21, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Consistent with the wayEli Russell Linnetz typically works, the latestERL collection is conceived as the wardrobe for a self-written film – an imagined narrative designed to channel his current fixations and reflections on contemporary culture. The plot unfolds as a revenge tale set in an elite Swiss international boarding school, where wealthy American students clash with their non-American peers. At its center stands a female protagonist who gleefully destabilizes the lives of the smug, privileged young men who casually dismiss her. Titled “The Void“, the film-collection becomes a vehicle through which Linnetz both lampoons and reanimates the aesthetic codes associated with inherited, so-called “old money” wealth. As he explains, he examines the visual language of trust-fund-baby luxury, contrasting how those with established fortunes actually dress with how aspirants attempt to imitate that image.

The opening and closing looks of his self-shot lookbook feature the narrator clad in garments constructed to resemble censorship bars, framing what lies beneath as if presenting unfiltered testimony. Meanwhile, the male antagonists appear in exaggerated collegiate attire: polos emblazoned with mock heraldic crests, deep red cricket sweaters, varsity jackets, and brightly checked tailoring. In two outfits, knitwear is layered excessively – cable-knit sweaters looped over the shoulders atop already worn argyles – pushing preppy styling into deliberate pastiche. As the narrative matures, the silhouettes shift accordingly, moving toward softly structured tailoring and eveningwear with a flashy 1980s inflection. Voluminous proportions emerge alongside elongated tweed coats distinguished by their richly textured, almost nubby surfaces. Extravagant, high-gloss jewelry by Tom Binns injects a note of rich-kitch. Skunk-like fur appears throughout, amplifying the collection’s nearly parodic take on affluence. Nobody does sociological commentary through the medium of fashion like Eli.