The Return
Lemaire let me down, Martens lifted me up. Also — Working, Colbo, and my most elite footwear rotation yet. Hello, I've returned.
Before We Begin —
In case you’re reading Duchump for the first time, or you’ve been MIA, you can catch up on my latest work — the last three posts are just below:
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Captain’s Check-In —
(Intro was written a few days ago, we are now in the midst of a heatwave. Decided to stay dramatic and keep the original draft.)
Oh, hello again.
The scent of wet concrete seeps through my windows this morning, overlapping and blending with the sandalwood incense burning on the credenza. Today, I woke up with main character energy — listening to some ambient mix on NTS while looking out into the gloom and doom hovering over the cityscape. There’s an unfamiliar feeling looming over me this morning, and I’ve yet to figure out what it is or why I feel like this.
Maybe it’s because things feel a bit stagnant again. We saw collections that were exciting, but for the most part, I was left underwhelmed. For example, Stein’s SS26 collection left me enthused and excited, while Lemaire — if I can be honest — was kind of a snooze-fest. The latter felt uninspired, at times a bit tacky with the prints used, and very much just clothes. I can appreciate the bit of sex appeal they were aiming for — bringing new life to their creative vision that had fashion in a chokehold for several seasons now. This one didn’t land, at least for me — though it seems there are plenty of others who share this sentiment.
Though, after writing this draft, I did watch Glenn Martens’ debut collection with Maison Margiela, and I feel like it’s fair to say: we were all flabbergasted by how stunning it is.
Starting off with an Artisanal collection is bold, but man — it was absolutely worth the wait. To sum it up, it’s a stunning collection consisting of many upcycled pieces — like this vintage tin box — that your sleep paralysis demon would wear. It even includes a lettuce wrap–inspired look at the end — how fun!
This collection feels appropriate, considering it seems like it’s the end of the world — and if that’s true, might as well start dressing for it. The dystopian nature of the collection brings both a feeling of unease and awe, as it can go from a very Dune-esque Princess Irulan piece to a gorgeous, colourful, tulle-focused one. Personally, my favourite part of the presentation was seeing one particular attendee consistently look terrified after every passing look — God bless her.
Now, what will the RTW collection look like? I’m curious to see how Martens brings their curious eye to the Maison. Are we expected to see an elevated version of Y/Project blended with the ethos of Margiela? Or will we see something entirely fresh and new from Martens?
We’ll just have to wait and see. Until then, I’ll continue drooling over this latest collection and listening to The Smashing Pumpkins.
What I’ve Been Loving —
The departure of Luke and Lucie Meier has left Jil Sander stans in shambles after eight years of being in the driver’s seat. This may be a hot take, but I do feel like it was time for a change. Their prices got a bit out of control, along with the product feeling less and less accessible and wearable.
Which is why I’m excited to see Simon Bellotti’s debut for Jil Sander. As a bit of a teaser, the label released a short film? Music video? Whatever it is, it’s visually appealing and feels more grounded, stripping it back to what Jil Sander really is. I’m personally feeling it — the imagery feels realistic, honest, and it’s exactly what I strive for with my personal photography.
(Note: This was filmed in Hamburg, Germany — where the label first started.)
Are we going to see the return of classic, refined minimalism? Most likely. Will it ruffle a few feathers? Absolutely — and I’m all for it. People want clothes that are well-designed and well-made, and I’m hopeful that Bellotti will give us that.
"We’re both interested in how people dress," Newman says. "Inspiration only ever exists to kick off process, and that can be anything: the crew of Alien’s Nostromo, Korn’s Jonathan Davis in the '90s, the textile archive at the University of Wisconsin, kid’s furniture design. It’s never intended to be eccentric, but that’s often where we end up." — Robert Newman of Working, for Highsnobiety.
The fact that both Jonathan Davis and Alien were name-dropped in the same breath as inspiration behind the brand is insanely hard. That, plus the actual collection, is exactly why I’ve been feeling William Kroll (Tender Co) and Robert Newman (Middle Distance)’s new project — Working.
You may have seen their work recently, as the brand has been picked up by your favourites — Neighbour and C’H’C’M’. I’ve only seen a handful of pieces in person, but their Working Loft Jacket stood out to me immediately — though it’s quite form-fitting, which can be intimidating to some.
It features a “sandwich” construction of three fabrics: Majocchi polyester-cotton high-tension gabardine (the cotton yarns are garment-dyed, giving it a rich, multi-tonal look), raw organic cotton open-cell mesh (it will loosen and better fit the wearer over time — gotta be patient), and peach-finished cotton oxford. If that wasn’t enough — the buttons are made from recycled cigarette filters. Insane, yes.
All in all, unbelievable work by Kroll and Newman. Very excited to see how the brand grows, and what else they cook up with Jonathan Davis pinned on their moodboard.
Fav Pieces: Work 8 Long-Sleeve Trap Shirt, Work 4 Selvage Denim Reversible Pullover, Fancy Mesh Pocket Shirt, Drone Jacket.
Man, Colbo remains doing their damn thing. They continue to refine its vision with quiet precision. I briefly touched on their SS26 collection — a standout from Paris Men’s Week — and while it remains one of my most anticipated drops this season, I think it's worth focusing on what they're doing right now.
What sets Colbo apart isn’t just the garments, but the styling. Every shoot, every post — there’s a meticulousness in how the pieces are presented. These collections aren’t loud, they’re not temporary — they’re intentional, timeless. Everything they’ve released, or are planning to release, is exactly what I’d want to wear today and going forward.
I can see myself wearing their Office Shirts today during my bitchy little walks, but also in the future when I’m with my kids. Maybe while watching Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — or whatever Mission Impossible we’re at years from now.
I’m not exactly thrilled about the resurgence of Sperry, I’ll see how they styled them on Pietro and I’m left wanting a pair — plus the rest of the outfit. Wait, okay, I got carried away — let’s go back to the clothes. They’ve been releasing bangin’ pieces for the summer, or for any season, that are already close to selling out such as their Washed Brown Half-Zip. How can you say no to another linen joint? Especially during this heatwave.
And in case you strike out, you can snag their Wood Stripe Office Shirt, or their Stone Half-Zip as back-ups.
Something’s in the water over on Orchard Street. Incredible work.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Hender Scheme, though I’m not entirely sure why. It might be tied to their iteration of a Jordan 4, and subconsciously associating the brand with Kaws-loving, Emily Oberg–era Complex enthusiasts. Every other aesthetic-focused blog would repost a photo of these shoes, and honestly, I may have done it too at one point for the sake of likes — sue me.
Either way, I’ve finally grown to appreciate the label this past year, and I’ve picked up my first pair of shoes: the Chameleon Crog — aka the most expensive pair of black Birkenstocks. I’m currently breaking them in, so my big toe is feeling the repercussions of my ridiculous purchase, but I’ve actually enjoyed them quite a bit and have been getting plenty of wear out of them.
I might have the elite footwear rotation I’ve ever owned — from the Chameleon Crogs to the Sprinter Sneakers by Maison Margiela. Definitely wasn’t expecting this.
How did we get here? Who gave me spending power? Anyway, I’m comfortable, and that’s what really matters. Now if you’ll excuse me — I’m off to have sleep for dinner.
Final Thoughts —
Okay, so we’ve got a few upcoming reviews coming through by our contributing writer Edward Luetkehoelter, and someone you may recognize from a previous post — Andrew Kolczynski. The latter will be sharing their review on Celine, KidSuper, and Mordecai.
As Andrew said in their upcoming first review:
“I know, I know, I’m just another guy reviewing the Celine collection. You come to this Substack for smaller, conscientious labels and textiles that take three generations of Japanese sons to develop. The fuck am I doing talking about Celine?
Well, Chris said I could, so shut up! This is my time!”
That’s to come later this week. For now, if you see me in the streets wearing one too many layers for this weather — just know I’m listening to The Row’s playlist for June, and anxiously wondering if I’m sweating too much. Also, we’ve got a few interviews in the works that will surely leave you wanting more.
Until then. ✌🏽
(PS: Tell your friends about Duchump — come on now.)
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
Superb read as always
Chris this goes hard and I love you.