The Only Things I Care About From SS26 (Part One)
Plus nine sub-$300 looks to inspire you not to shell out for anything from the runways.
Hi, I’m fairly divested from the Fashion Week scene at this point (living in PDX and being poor and all), but I like playing the red string-on-wall detective and finding through lines connecting disparate houses like, say, Rachel Comey and Hodakova or Eckhaus Latta and Jil Sander. Just taking the temperature of what stylings are peaking at the moment. That’s what I did below, discovering that most congruencies are found in accessories this season, but scroll past that for a breakdown of a few of the (few) houses I actually care about right now, for this post, SC103, Paolina Russo, and Vaquera, along with three shoppable outfits based on each house’s SS26 design code that come out under (most way under) $300 for a full look. I’ll be doing a few more of these for paid subscribers later in the week (hint: I already mentioned the houses I’ll attack next in this post), so if you find these helpful in trying to formulate a SS26-inspired look from thrifted clothes or your own closet, stay tuned for that! Read on for holes, Miuccia shade, pillowcases, and more…
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First, a note of triumph for Esque:
You may remember that in my July article “Showing Hole,” I wrote:
“…It seems holes, specifically large, circular swaths of absent fabric exposing an underlayer or skin, seem to be popping up everywhere in fashion right now, especially in the apparent hive mind of the hottest young designers. Does it speak to a turn towards the aesthetic of vulnerability in its revealing nature, or is it a reverberation of violence both real and cartoonish that we are inundated with from every angle these days? Or is it a sex joke? I suspect all three approaches marry together…”
Most of my examples those month ago were pulled from smaller designers or stylists, but it looks like holes have officially hit the big time this season, from the insouciantly masculine full-torso panels at Eckhaus Latta…
…To the fussier, goth-regal chainmail-covered pane at Chopova Lowena (honestly, the only look I cared for in the show…
…To the businesslike, office-inappropos boob circles at Jil Sander (yawn)…
…To the cinch-able, organically-shaped peepholes at SC103.
Second, a few of the (sparse) most wearable looks at Hodakova featured double-belting…
…as did this breezy Rachel Comey suit in Bill Cunningham blue, and I’m sure other designers I don’t care about used this styling trick this season too, as the double belt look has been going strong on runways since last year.
Rachel Comey also utilized a few pseudo-practical sidesaddle fanny packs…
…Which translated over to mini aprons worn askew at Eckhaus Latta…
…Though they were also worn straightforwardly, but still better than…
…The miserable menagerie of both faux-blue collar and faux-housewife aprons abundant at Miu Miu, a show I loathed, as did the brilliant
, who put it so aptly:
More than offensive, the show was gimmicky, uninspired, and self-referential to the point of ouroboros-ian self-consumption. I am over the Miuccia fervor.
Jil Sander presented this very under-constructed looking dress that resembled a pillowcase with a head hole cut out as if hewn by a third-grader obsessed with Project Runway…
…While Hodakova pushed this look to its natural conclusion, literalizing the pillowcasiness in a way I find a lot more appealing in its sense of humor, but not completely eschewing consturuction—I love the play on the 1920s-esque drop waist. Almost like a bitter fusion of the roaring 2020s we were promised with the homebound, poverty-stricken one we got.
SC103 did subtle, subdued boho pseudo-jodhpurs with tie waists…
…While Vaquera pushed the on-the-nose angle by pairing its jodhpurs with vintage-style equestrian helmets.
Now, on to specific shows from the few houses I actually check for, featuring some of their more wearable looks and shoppable, sub-$100 outfits that figure in to each brand’s sensibilities this season!
SC103
The most important components of SS26 SC103 are:
Wrinkly fabric
Cinching
Holes
Vertical stripes
Bloomers/capris/jodhpurs
Sheerness
Halter tops
Straps/ties
Gladiator sandals
Muted colors: dusty blue, cream, pale yellow, army green
The most important brand to search if you’re looking to emulate the SC103 look with more affordable vintage is Marithé & François Girbaud. You might have to get elbow-deep in Etsy searches (I find Etsy is the best place to find this brand), but you’ll find some gems with the same undone-but-resolved finesse that SC103 exhibits. I also recommend MaKenzie Godso’s handmade, upcycled works via Makmak Handmade—MaKenzie is a lovely person I’ve met here in PDX with a burgeoning design career. Get her stuff for incredible prices while you can! Also, it seems like there’s a dire drought of cool, tie-up gladiator sandals that aren’t vintage designer deals for $10k, but I suspect that will change soon…
Left:
Center:
Marithé & François Girbaud velvet ruffle top - $41.25 (Sale)
Makmak Upcycled bloomers - $162
White leather gladiators - $71.50 (Sale)
Right:
‘00s balloon pants - $75 (Sale)
Metallic gladiator sandals - $59.81
Paolina Russo
This was not my favorite season of Paolina Russo, as it seems to have lost some of its cyberpagan edge in favor of a more subdued style that could easily be marketed to today’s teens, but I liked some aspects of some garments. The most important components of SS26 Paolina Russo are:
Sportiness
Checkers
Horizontal stripes
Multicolored knits
Flared skirts with shirred waistbands
Crunchy crocheted hats
Chunky beads
Bulky black skate-style sneakers
I’d recommend searching Depop more than any other site for pieces that capture SS26 Paolina Russo’s earthy-but-light energy. Plenty of sub-$20 chunky black skate shoes to anchor each look on there.
Left:
Knit cap - $15
Checkered puffer - $50
Seersucker check skirt - $128.17
DC trainers - $45 (Sale)
Center:
Knit cap - $15
Knit hoodie - $80
White mini skirt - $31
Leg warmers - $25
Isabel Marant wedge trainers - $90 (Sale)
Right:
Beaded necklace - $64
Japan football kit - $48.82
Striped knit pants - $109.86
Patchwork bag - $28.40
Skate shoes - $20
Vaquera
Ah, Vaquera. Never reinventing the wheel, but also never not fun. The most important components of SS26 Vaquera are:
Equestrian motifs (helmets, jodhpurs)
Acid-washed denim
Trompe l’oeil prints
Black and white
Latex
Fur (faux?)
“Edgy” graphics
This is where Gem App really shone, guiding me to random-er corners of the internet like Grailed and Mercari.
Left:
Vintage fur hat - $55
Skeleton sweater - $64 (Sale)
Vintage wide belt - $49.99
Vintage acid wash jeans - $12.75 (Sale)
Pointy tie-up heels - $40
Center:
Vivienne Westwood trompe l’oeil tee - $110.23
Newspaper skirt - $100 (Sale)
Red leather bag - $50.58 (Sale)
Vintage heels - $20
Right:
Cop Copine halter suit top - $67.14
Vintage jodhpurs - $180
Latex boots - $40
More to come soon! Thank you for being here, and please sound off in the comments if you have any big feelings about anything SS26.
<3 ESK
..."Almost like a bitter fusion of the roaring 2020s we were promised with the homebound, poverty-stricken one we got." 😭
I find this type of dissection of the runway themes to be much more interesting than just reviews of the shows, so thank you, Esque! Good prognostication on the "holey" trend! That always feels good, like "I have my finger on the pulse!" I really like Vaquera's looks, thank you for showcasing them!