Woman

The Narcissist. THEVXLLEY AW26

| 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.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.

Eccentric Elegance. Emilia Wickstead AW26

| 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.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.

Poignant. Colleen Allen AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

During New York Fashion Week, I always find myself anticipating Colleen Allen’s presentations. From day one, she has known exactly who her woman is. Her codes are witchy, esoteric – Gothic, even – yet the way she articulates them feels consistently poignant rather than theatrical. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:


Colleen Allen Paneled Fleece Jacket



Colleen Allen Shirred Cotton-velvet Gown



Colleen Allen Twist Stretch-crepe Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.

A Lot. Khaite AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Cate Holstein is clearly in an experimental phase, determined to prove that Khaite is not merely Khaite, but a force of “big fashion.” Her work moves in waves: at times it lands with precision; at others, it simply doesn’t cohere.

In this collection, there were genuinely strong moments ideas that might have resonated more sharply had they been further refined and sublimated. Yet these were counterbalanced by multiple narrative detours that made the overall line-up difficult to read. I appreciated the opening looks, with their slinky velvet outerwear and leather pieces (which, quite frankly, evoked Frida Giannini’s tenure at Gucci), as well as the charming monkey paintings that appeared as prints on a sheer shirt. The gesture of wearing black gloves beneath transparent muslin also felt inventive and visually intriguing. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

ED’s SELECTION:


KHAITE Sabina Cashmere Sweater



KHAITE Kye Calf Hair Clutch



KHAITE Boyle Cropped Low-rise Jeans



KHAITE Eva Leather Sock Boots



Oliver Peoples x Khaite 1989c Round-frame Acetate And Gold-tone Sunglasses



KHAITE Cordelia Cropped Leather Jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.

Embracing Awkwardness. Eckhaus Latta AW26

| Design & Culture by Ed

Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta effortlessly achieve what many contemporary New York designers desperately pursue: a gritty coolness that isn’t merely a vague nod to the ’90s. It’s not the polished vision of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy filtered through Ryan Murphy; it’s what CBK might actually wear.

A high-necked black fur jacket paired with a sleek black pencil skirt; satin slip dresses and tops so airy they resemble barely-there mist; stretch jerseys constructed with subtle cutouts at the hip bones. Sexy, but not obvious. Eckhaus Latta grows more mature and refined with each season, yet, as one of the designers noted, the “pressure to make good, fancy rich-people clothes” has never been the point.

Instead, it’s about embracing an awkwardness that isn’t a pose or a performance, but a safe space – an undeniably chic one. And their tradition of casting real people only makes it all the more convincing.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.