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Debuts — Bottega Veneta & Jil Sander

I’ve got a lot on my mind right now — collections, debuts, pickups, ass, etc. — so let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight into it.

It’s the season of debuts, and if I’m being completely honest, it’s been underwhelming across the board. The only true standout is Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, and you can’t tell me otherwise. Texture was the name of the game here. The collection felt like a sensory room you’d actually want to spend time in, showcasing brilliant craftsmanship through exceptional leather weaves and the surprising use of recycled fiberglass in skirts, sweaters, and dresses. The latter brought a quiet surrealism to the runway — deceiving, clever, and completely unexpected. Every look felt like a wearable work of art.

Looks 24 and 42 from SS26 by Bottega Veneta.

As for the former, look 13 stood out to me with its snake-scale weave — the kind of piece that would leave a conspiracy theorist convinced we’re being overruled by reptilians. It reads as both defensive and protective — sturdy and thick, yet softening over time. There’s a delicateness hidden within its strength, making it one of my favourites from the season.

What impressed me most was the balance throughout the collection: warmth meeting intensity, drama meeting whimsy. It offered so much without ever feeling overbearing — a confident debut from one of the few female appointments during fashion’s revolving door of creative directors, which is disappointing to say the least.

In my head, I imagine the Bottega team asking Louise what textures she planned to use, and her simply replying, “Yes.” I confidently say that this debut absolutely lived up to the hype.

I’ve got what appears to be a hot take: Simone Bellotti’s debut was good.

Listen — under Lucie and Luke Meier, the label drifted far from what Jil Sander originally stood for. To me — and I know this might ruffle a few feathers — their collections became all sparkles and dazzle, but hollow upon closer look. A kind of parody of Jil’s founding philosophy: clothes that are impeccably made, wearable, and the antithesis of excess.

Bellotti’s debut brought that philosophy back. It felt like a return to form — garments that were allowed to breathe, imbued with realism rather than decoration and fluff. There were echoes of 90s Jil Sander scattered throughout, but with a modern twist.

Bellotti shared with Vogue how his focus was “finding a balance between structure, tailoring, and classicism, and modernity and lightness, and trying to reveal the body in a subtle way. I really think Jil Sander has always had these two elements.”

That said, there wasn’t complete restraint. Bellotti certainly took risks, and they paid off. The sheer turquoise dress was a standout — the fabric rippling around the body like water disturbed by a dropped pebble, revealing motion with every step. It was intelligent, sensual, and a beautiful addition.

The show’s soundtrack — led by Bochum Welt — was a perfect final touch, its crisp minimalism fitting the brand’s ethos perfectly.

While it didn’t carry the same force and gravitas as Louise Trotter’s debut at Bottega, Bellotti’s first collection marked a memorable and thoughtful beginning — a quiet, and promising, reset for Jil Sander.

As for the other debuts — we’ll touch on them next week. Just know that I wasn’t impressed.

Highlight — Lea Boberg

Right now, the name of the game for me is flair. I’m looking for garments that will add a bit of pizzazz to my everyday looks, without being too flashy or silly (pear-shaped trousers, etc). One of my latest purchases satisfies that criteria, and it’s already drawn attention for its shape, construction, and fabric quality: the LB-14-SC Shirt by Lea Boberg.

I’ve been obsessed with this shirt. Unfortunately, it is being sent to be dry-cleaned after wearing it during Japanese BBQ night.

Lea Boberg, a UK-based designer, approaches clothing with a quiet precision. Her work is built around the subtleties of how garments are worn and experienced in everyday life — how a cuff falls, how fabric catches light, how clothes move with the body. As she states on her website, each piece is intended to “exist outside of established seasons — to be worn day after day after day.” That sense of continuity is what drew me in.

For me, clothes aren’t just for specific settings anymore; they’re for the overlap between them — pieces I can wear to work, at home, and out. The friction created by my past shopping habits left me with a wardrobe that felt disjointed and convoluted. It’s why I started this Substack: to highlight brands that feel more in tune with reality. Boberg’s designs offer that: brilliantly made garments that adapt to the pace of your day, whether slow or rushed. Her made-to-order model also stands out in an industry obsessed with overproduction — a small but deliberate act of restraint.

Additionally, her silhouettes are something I can deeply appreciate as someone with a mid-size frame (broad shoulders, long arms) who struggles to find garments with the right proportions. Boberg’s garments aren’t strictly oversized, but they are considerate — tailored to real bodies, and using premium fabrics like Japanese and English Wools.

One example is her tailoring in Japanese Super100’s Wool, a fabric that perfectly balances softness and structure — two things Boberg focuses in her design language. Woven by Japanese mills known for their precision finishing, it has a subtle, elegant drape that brings that flair I’ve been searching for. It’s a material that mirrors her philosophy to a tee: refined yet grounded, designed to evolve and move with the wearer rather than against them.

It’s been a pleasure chatting with Lea Boberg recently, and I’m truly excited to see the label grow as more people begin discovering her work. I’ve highlighted a few of my favourite pieces by Boberg — ones that will leave a lasting and thoughtful mark in your wardrobe:

LB-16 TP Jacket Cord Taupe (with the matching trouser here), LB-1-RNL-SB Blazer Crepe Black, Collarless Shirt English Symphony/Bateman Ogden, Sandwich Collar Shirt British Wool Crepe Navy.

What I’ve Been Loving

Christ, I don’t know where to begin with Lauren Manoogian.

Slow design — if you can’t already tell — is something I’ve naturally gravitated toward over the years. I’ve found myself paying closer attention to the fabrics used, the construction of each piece, and the intention behind it all. I’m no longer interested in pieces that simply scratch an itch; I’m looking for garments that integrate seamlessly into my wardrobe, made with the intention of becoming legacy pieces rather than temporary ones. The Bo Bomber by Sono, for example, is something I’ll be adding this week — a piece that feels like it could stay with you for life, maybe even be passed on to your children.

Looks 3 and 6 from SS26 by Lauren Manoogian.

Lauren Manoogian moves in a similar way, though perhaps with greater depth having been founded in 2008. With an emphasis on natural materials such as alpaca and cashmere, the New York–based label has become a quiet benchmark for what luxury really means. Their Spring/Summer 2026 collection was one of the few that left me speechless — a study in minimalism and abstraction, defined by elevated textures, subdued colour palettes, and generous silhouettes.

I’ll keep this brief, as I’ll be exploring the brand’s ethos in a future article, but Manoogian deserves a place in your mental rolodex if they aren’t there already. The brand’s premium pricing is a reflection of its craftsmanship and material integrity — and in my opinion, the cost is entirely justified given the quality and longevity of each piece.

A special brand, that’s for sure.

Bow Wow is a brand I’ve recently discovered and have found a few nice pieces at ANNMS, like their Boat Club Zip Hoodie in Eggplant Navy (idk who comes up with these names), Zip Hoodie in Green, and Denim Zip Work Shirt.

The Evan Kinori community is one that slightly frightens me — it feels almost CDG/Yohji-adjacent in how they interact (no shade). That said, the actual clothes are quite stunning, and as someone who struggles to find well-fitted pieces, I can happily say I’ve become an EK convert. Somehow — and please enlighten me if you know why — his Kasuri Wool Check Big Shirt is still sitting online, despite easily being one of the standouts of the collection.

It’s stunning. The body is quite big, but the sleeves fit perfectly.

Unlike y’all sleepyheads, I picked it up — and I’ve already gotten plenty of wear out of it. Most people are hesitant because of the material, as it can be a bit scratchy, but I’ve yet to have any issues wearing it. Off the rip, the piece is nice on the eyes — a real highlight — but I can tell it’ll stand out even more as it softens with time. Hopefully it will age as gracefully as Judge Judy (apparently she got ass, idk).

I’ve also been eyeing a few other pieces from Evan’s latest collection: the Sumi Ink Corduroy Brown Zip Jacket, Cotton Kersey Black Flat Front Pant, and Brown/Charcoal Herringbone Wool Peacoat. If I had the funds, I would go back for the Lambswool/Cashmere Black Cardigan I tried on. If anyone wants to invest in me, you can hit my line any time.

I had the pleasure of trying on two pieces from ssstein’s FW25 collection: the Lambswool Cashmere Fleece Zip Jacket and Fine Lambswool Cardigan. The jacket fit perfectly with my Taupe Grey Checkered Shirt by ssstein, which I picked up earlier this year. The cardigan is a solid, more affordable alternative to the Evan Kinori piece I mentioned before. Aside from the difference in fabric, the EK cardigan features a ribbed placket, whereas the ssstein one does not — which might help if you’re deciding between the two.

**Left**: Lambswool Cashmere Fleece Zip Jacket by ssstein, Taupe Grey Checkered Shirt by ssstein, 6-Pocket Pants by Comoli, Flat Piped Slippers by Lemaire. **Right**: Extra Fine Lambswool Cardigan by ssstein.

For those looking for styling inspiration, I strongly recommend revisiting their past shows and lookbooks. Exceptional work, always.

Closing Thoughts

Here are a few more of my favourites: Chocolate Mika Blouson by Casey Casey, Mud-Dyed Dress Band Shirt by Mark.S, Pigment Dyed Corduroy Blouson by Auralee, Dark Brown/Green SHMA by Yifat Finkelshtein, and High Collar Shirt Jacket by Jan-Jan Van Essche.
I understand why most people would be hesitant when it comes to in-house labels, but you cannot deny that Colbo is far above and beyond your typical shop-brand. More on that later.
Tíscar Espadas makes me want to have fun with my wardrobe again. Their work feels more relevant than ever, with pieces like the Saturday Night Shirt, Wax Bomber Jacket, and The Moment Jacket being some of my favourites. I’d slot them into the Cawley-esque category — truly beautiful stuff.
That video of Wisdom unboxing an $18K denim vest by Miu Miu was nauseating to watch. Not just because it exposed the reality of luxury labels, but also because he spent a fortune on a vest that could easily be thrifted for less than ten dollars. I don’t really care about the piece itself, but it would be refreshing to see some new fashion influencers emerge in this post–TikTok era.
RIP D’Angelo. This one hurt.
Confirmed: Comes and Goes make the best hats — even their knits fit beautifully. I’ve been resisting a return to the knit hat, but after trying on a C&G piece, I’ve decided it’s time for a comeback.
Barbell Object feels like Comoli’s fun, edgier sibling. I haven’t seen any of their pieces in person yet, but based on what I’ve seen online, there are definite parallels between the two brands — though lately, I’ve found myself gravitating toward Barbell more.
Stop sleeping on Polyploid. Their Gray Check Bomber Jacket C marks the third — maybe even fourth — bomber I’ve wanted to add to my rotation. The brand remains one of fashion’s quietest heavy hitters.

Thanks for reading!

I appreciate your support as I work to grow this newsletter into something bigger — a full publication with interviews, collection coverage, and maybe working with larger publications.

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- Chris

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