Eli Russell Linnetz is spreading his wings. The spring 2027 collection, titled “The Island,” is the label’s first independent presentation after amicably parting ways with the Dover Street Market incubator and showroom.
With it comes bigger changes, too. The Venice Beach-based brand has relocated production from Europe to L.A., as well as launched its first official women’s collection.
The clothes remain unmistakably ERL. Inspired by Linnetz’s surreal experience when he was unexpectedly invited to stay with the new owners of a cousin’s former Martha’s Vineyard home after showing up to surprise his relatives, the theme was East Coast prep collides with L.A. nonchalance.
There was an emphasis on Madras prints, washed rugby shirts, faded denim and some lurid chartreuse sportswear. This was not a collection for the timid.
“I think people wear ERL to stand out,” Linnetz said. He tried to dial down the color palette in previous seasons to make the line more commercial, he said, before fully embracing it as a key part of his proposition. “You have to own what you do best,” he added.
If anything has changed, it’s the craftsmanship. Producing everything in L.A. has allowed Linnetz to obsess over details such as sun-bleached knits, gradient prints, bleached-out washes on high-waisted jeans, intricate hand-knit cashmeres and one-off pieces assembled from vintage scarves, deadstock fabrics and antique textiles, such as tablecloths upcycled into sundresses.
The biggest development this season was a full womenswear offering. Previously, “women always kind of wore the men’s looks,” he said. He’s spent a significant amount of time thinking about who the ERL woman is, and this season he felt he finally “had a clear vision of what I wanted to say.”
That translated into sheer slip dresses, silk chiffon tops and bikinis that epitomize his vision of carefree California cool. He also developed a bold floral print based on vintage wallpaper, in a slightly jarring combination of candy-colored brights.
The collection was presented in room painted to match the exact shade of Pepto pink from that print. Among his cast were a surfer he discovered on social media and a lacrosse player from his alma mater high school. They lounged on raised platforms as if caught in a languid beach day, while one visibly overheated dog seemed less happy.
The designer was not in Paris, as he is in pre-production on his first film. But his mom was on hand to let the designer chat with guests via FaceTime.
The show space will now transform into a see-now-buy-now pop-up through next week, highlighting accessories introduced in this collection, including jelly beach bags with interior color inserts that can be switched up to coordinate with various looks.
Now out from under the Dover Street umbrella, Linnetz said he has created a detailed five-year retail expansion plan that will begin with a flagship in California before expanding into Asia, where South Korea has emerged as the brand’s biggest market.
