Woman

Shanghai. Maison Margiela AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

At this point, there’s little sense in trying to draw connections between what Martin Margiela’s brand once was and what it is today. In the days of the revolutionary Belgian designer, the scale was small, anonymity was essential, and no-nonsense ideas were paramount. Today, this is Renzo Rosso’s house being scaled up – not only through perfume lines or Miley Cyrus campaigns, but also by presenting its latest collection in Shanghai.

I don’t see Maison Margiela as a “destination” brand like Chanel or Louis Vuitton, so it’s difficult to justify this move as anything beyond commercial expansion. The autumn-winter 2026 collection marks Glenn Martens’ third outing. It is, so far, his strongest – far more compelling than his spring effort, with its inexplicable metal gags tucked into models’ mouths – yet that doesn’t mean I’m entirely convinced. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:


Maison Margiela Tabi Ballerina Split-toe Distressed Velvet Pumps



Maison Margiela Dégradé Checked Woven Midi Skirt



Maison Margiela Embroidered Mesh-trimmed Wool Cardigan



Maison Margiela Box Leather Shoulder Bag



Maison Margiela Padded Wool-trimmed Quilted Crinkled Shell Jacket



Maison Margiela Ombre Leather Anatomic Block-Heel Pumps

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Phoebe Philo Collection E

| Design & Culture by Ed

I love it when an unassuming Thursday turns into a revelation – because Phoebe Philo drops her latest lookbook with no further ado. Collection E – the autumn-winter 2026 offering, arriving in June- is a testament to Philo’s profound, instinctive understanding of women: nothing superfluous, no noise, no strings attached.

She has the final word as the endless fashion month of shows and presentations wrapped last week – and the last laugh, too. While other designers are still guessing (and second-guessing) contemporary women and their needs, Philo simply delivers: a collection so concise and assured you can rely on it without a shade of doubt. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Play-Doh. Loewe AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Jonathan Anderson transformed Loewe into a fertile ground for experimentation, yet the results – even at their most conceptual and surreal – retained a warmth reminiscent of the Balearic sun. Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough continue this experimental tradition, but their work comes across as awkwardly distant and cold. Their sophomore collection showcases an array of the brand’s technical possibilities – zip-front latex coats resembling Play-Doh toys, bell-shaped silhouettes rendered in shaved and dyed brushed shearling – yet, despite these inventive constructions, there is a noticeable absence of wit and lightness in the voluminous, built-up forms. The eveningwear, too, feels overworked, burdened by unnecessary folds and wraps. The former-Proenza duo would benefit from rediscovering a sense of sensuality – and a more vibrant, actually playful spirit – in their Loewe. I’d argue that nobody wants to look like a serious alien.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sphinx. Schiaparelli AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry has definitively abandoned the ornamental eyes, noses, and mouths, turning instead toward a more profound interpretation of the body. This season, he does so with finesse, envisioning a woman akin to a sphinx – not entirely human, closer to a deity; familiar, yet mysterious. The sphinx concept comes into focus in a phenomenal skirt suit made from wadding-stuffed hosiery – it appeared as though fashioned from a human corpse, yet remained oddly chic. A sense of delightful strangeness continues in another skirt that extends into a tail with the help of a wired hem, accompanied by hirsute fur prints and painted crocodile scales. Then there are the more conservative-looking, yet equally striking, liquid-gold draped pieces with Mariano Fortuny-esque pleating. Roseberry is finally finding his method for Schiaparelli ready-to-wear.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Open Mind. Louis Vuitton AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

It seems to me that Nicolas Ghesquière has rediscovered a sense of joy in making fashion. That wasn’t always so evident in his 1980s-heavy collections, but his latest Louis Vuitton outing feels like the work of an open mind. It brings together three distinct “energies,” vividly clashing yet glued by a kind of transcendental, almost shroom-like aura.

First, there is a collage-like engagement with global cultures. Cultural appropriation is one thing, but in the past decade, a growing fear of being called out – or cancelled – for drawing on other traditions has made fashion increasingly cautious about referencing the world’s diverse beauty. So it feels refreshing to see Ghesquière approach Turkish kepeneks, Mongolian steppe deels, and Nepalese topi hats with such confidence, but also with respect. He manages to celebrate these traditions by sublimating their magnificence, never reducing them to caricature.

The second “energy” sees Nicolas returning to his Balenciaga years – autumn/winter 2002, to be precise – reviving a sense of generous, bounty fluidity in his dresses. Those sent down the Louis Vuitton runway feel effortless, and cool. Words that didn’t always roll off the tongue when considering his recent collections.

And the third? For the first time in over a decade at the house, Ghesquière seems to subtly nod to Marc Jacobs – not in any literal sense, but in his attitude toward fashion. There’s wit, a sense of play, a tongue-in-cheek irreverence. A cone-shaped hat paired with a voluminous bomber jacket and cropped trousers, or a fabulously cluttered blazer with boxy shoulders, recalls Jacobs’s years at Vuitton, when each show existed as a self-contained fantasy.

That newly found, almost defiant I-don’t-give-a-fuck-what-anyone-thinks spirit suits Ghesquière well. It might also explain why the collection didn’t resonate with everyone. After all, people tend to resent it when someone is having just a little too much fun. Human nature!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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