Father, I’ve Sinned! Valentino AW26

March 15, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Michele has added spice – and flame – to his Valentino, and it has been working particularly well lately. First came his toned-down, poetic spring collection, the only show of the season that truly approached the dread of a world on the brink of WWIII. Then followed his vivacious sophomore couture collection, presented just over a week after Valentino Garavani’s passing, which made the fashion heavens rave. And now, the autumn–winter 2026 lineup, presented not in the usual Paris but in Rome, the brand’s home, core, hot-red heart.

This was Valentino through and through, yet captured through Michele’s new perspective. It is rich and full, yes, but he somehow manages to express that opulence in a clean, clear way (forget the heaviness of his Gucci days). His clothes no longer look as if they have been pulled straight from a vintage store or a forgotten attic. The dramatic glamour is still there, but it is glitched – awkwardly so – making it far more intriguing.

Bow-tied belts cinched full-length furs; color-blocked pleated tunics; lace dresses with butterfly-wing-shaped skirts. It is Rome, after all, so there is an inherent tension between the ecclesiastical and the regal, and the naughty, decadent, Fellini-esque spirit of the city. These women go to church on Sunday – but they as easily live a full-on, hedonistic “La Grande Bellezza” life (a dialogue Demna attempted to spark with his Gucci runway debut, but, to me, failed miserably). One aspect that could perhaps be reconsidered is the casting. Adding a few more mature faces would make the collection feel even more vivid and charismatic, as some of the barely twenty-year-old models – likely exhausted by the fashion month marathon – appeared somewhat pale.

ED’s SELECTION:

Valentino Garavani Fetishique 105 Metallic Leather Slingback Sandals

Valentino Garavani Cropped Satin-trimmed Woven Blazer

Valentino Garavani Velvet-trimmed Satin-crepe Maxi Skirt

Valentino Garavani Bowow 25 Suede-trimmed Leopard-print Calf Hair Pumps

Valentino Garavani Bow-embellished Ribbed Cotton-blend And Wool And Silk-blend Crepe Jacket

Valentino Garavani Viva Superstar Medium Leopard-print Calf Hair Shoulder Bag

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Flow State. The Row Resort 2027

March 15, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen are at a peak in their creative careers, working in a way that feels instinctive rather than overthought – almost uncontrolled in the best possible sense. As the kids say these days, The Row sisters have reached a kind of flow state. Because what else do you call a perfectly cut black suit, nonchalantly topped with a vintage emerald brooch? It’s a statement of pure confidence. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:

The Row Awar Grosgrain-trimmed Leather Ballet Flats

The Row Essentials Tristana Double-breasted Twill Blazer

The Row Emiliano Cotton-poplin Shorts

The Row Vincit Suede Loafers

The Row Leather Clutch

BenAmun Crystal Multi-Drop Brooch

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Earthy Modesty. Miu Miu AW26

March 15, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

The earthy, grounded modesty (and honesty) of Miu Miu’s autumn–winter 2026 collection was exactly what was needed on the last day of Paris Fashion Week. Miuccia Prada stripped her Miu girl (and boy) of anything superfluous. Knee-length pencil skirts and vintage-coded camisoles in peachy shades felt beautifully realistic when paired with trapper hats – somewhat primal, especially given the moss and twigs scattered underfoot along the runway. Fur-lined jackets, cropped nylon anoraks, and crude leathers were utilitarian in form, yet they oozed a palpable sense of humanity (something Pierpaolo Piccioli seemed eager to capture in his Balenciaga collection, though he advanced little beyond a lengthy press release). Chloë Sevigny, who modeled for Miu Miu more than three decades ago, appeared on the runway in a jacket-and-dress set with furry hems that looked like a fungi-esque organism creeping across the garment. It read as Miuccia’scall for peace between humans and nature. And the 1920s-inspired flapper dresses – embroidered, yes, but far more restrained than is typical for Miu Miu – worn in the finale by Gemma Ward, Kristen McMenamy, and Gillian Anderson? A small, poignant pinch of innocence in our being in this world.

ED’s SELECTION:

Miu Miu Leather Casual Derby Loafers

Miu Miu Aventure Lambskin Leather Shoulder Bag

Miu Miu Allacciate Leather Buckle Low-Top Sneakers

Miu Miu Striped Oversized Long-Sleeve T-Shirt

Miu Miu Antic Buckle Distressed Leather Knee-High Boots

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Clothes To Live A Life In. Celine AW26

March 14, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

Michael Rider’s autumn–winter 2026 line-up at Celine is ultimately the season-defining collection. Rider – who has a long history with the brand, having worked there during Phoebe Philo’s tenure – knows exactly what draws people to it: not wardrobe solutions, but choices through which one can express oneself in an easy, consciously “not trendy” way.

His latest collection radiates a warmth that only clothes meant to live a life in can emanate – so effortlessly, so honestly. Everything clicks, from the Diane Keaton–esque sporty elegance to the image direction meticulously shaped by Rider’s team. What I appreciate most about the collection is that it conveys precisely the same great feeling as the joint work of Philo and Rider more than a decade ago: the comfort of a postcard-printed blanket carried like a stole; the perfectly weighted crêpe used for a poncho-like cloak (remember Céline Spring–Summer 2013? The echoes of those eternally chic black dresses are right here); animal-printed coats that are just a bit too big, as if lifted straight from your grandmother’s wardrobe; dresses and suits with subtly tweaked proportions, making the case that chic often lies in the slightly odd detail that transforms an otherwise perfectly fine garment.

And then there are the accessories: bow-wrapped scarves that made the men’s silhouette slender and delightfully flamboyant, and angel-like feathers tucked into the hair that simply felt right in the moment. But what strikes me most about the new Celine is how well defined it is – somewhat outside the current aesthetic cycle – and, above all, the way it inspires you to dress differently, and to do so with affection.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Happiness is a Butterfly. Chanel AW26

March 13, 2026 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s easy to disregard Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel if you judge it only by the photos on your phone. But after seeing his debut collection live last week in Paris as it arrived in the flagship boutiques – and witnessing the shopping frenzy that seemed to grip everyone there (I tell you, people were buying as if there were no tomorrow!) – I had a eureka moment. Blazy’s clothes and accessories, when touched, tried on, and worn, are so easygoing and full of optimism that it’s impossible not to fall for their charming allure. They instantly uplift the mood with their wit and effortlessness, which are woven into every painstaking detail.

With those joyful sensations in mind, I watched Matthieu’s sophomore ready-to-wear collection without the shades of skepticism that accompanied me six months ago, but with pure thrill. Yes, some elements of the collection – like tweed jackets turned into work-jacket proportions, or the 1920s-tinged dropped waists and flapper-esque ease – repeat motifs from Blazy’s first outing for the house, only subtly tweaked. But to fully shape an idea in the collective consciousness, you have to make sure it lands. The designer is building a new era – and with it, new codes.

Not that the collection lacked novelty. Some of the artisanal details made me gasp: skirt suits with “action painting” stitching; embroidered slip dresses so feather-light they were nearly transcendental in appearance; and, of course, the intricate clashes of textures, embellishments, and embroideries that made the garments look rich in substance yet somehow breezy and unpretentious. The final black dress, with its exposed low back punctuated by a camellia suspended between the shoulder blades, was simply a dream.

Backstage, Blazy quoted an observation that Chanel made to the French newspaper Le Figaro in the 1950s: “We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly, because the butterfly doesn’t go to the market and the caterpillar doesn’t go to the ball.” Matthieu’s butterfly is certainly out of its chrysalis, flying high above us all, into the moonlight.