ERL introduces its Spring Summer 2026 collection under the title “Poison Ivy,” set in motion by a narrative of desire, control, and collapse. The twelfth chapter in ERL’s ongoing narrative investigates obsession, fantasy, and the social codes embedded in male presentation. This season, Eli Russell Linnetz uses clothing as both disguise and confession, setting the tone with a fictional tale centered around a character named Ivy.
The story follows Ivy after a shadowy expulsion leads him to a prestigious boarding school. There, he becomes fixated on Christian, a powerful figurehead of status and control. Ivy’s fascination grows into imitation and eventually unravels into destruction. The collection echoes this descent through textures, proportions, and fabric pairings that question the cost of perfection and the masks people wear to chase it.
ERL introduces new forms that reinterpret tailoring through an unconventional lens. Unstructured suit jackets appear next to nylon swim shorts, while wide-legged trousers meet polished knitwear. Each look plays with tension, presenting ease while exposing construction. The tailoring feels relaxed but precise, suggesting quiet control rather than disorder.
Color guides the mood of the collection. Linnetz leans into dusty tones of sand, taupe, khaki, and brown. These neutrals support injections of faded purple and jade, evoking California light filtered through memory. The palette acts as both anchor and distortion, inviting softness while leaving room for something unsettled beneath the surface.
Fabric choices deepen this dynamic. Mélange knits, Donegal argyles, and subdued stripes carry texture and variation. ERL denim, washed to recall vintage richness, pairs with pique polos and sweatshirts marked by the brand’s handwritten logo. Tattersall linen shirts and boxers, layered with ornate floral prints, add a note of vulnerability to the otherwise clean-cut collection.
Some silhouettes push further into playful territory. Cropped stone-washed khakis and brief swim trunks lean into summer irreverence. Meanwhile, lightweight Donegal linen suiting appears in updated volumes and shapes. These sit alongside ERL’s signature surf-inspired nylon tailoring, reinforcing the designer’s balance of polish and disarray.
“Poison Ivy” continues Linnetz’s long-form exploration of the American male archetype. The clothing operates as character development, revealing ambition, insecurity, and control through every fabric choice and hemline. Combining tailored precision with sun-washed ease, the collection sketches a portrait of a man shaped as much by surface as by what simmers beneath it.
ERL’s approach reframes prep through a lens of emotional volatility. By questioning taste, power, and imitation, Linnetz directs attention to the tensions that animate identity. Through this lens, “Poison Ivy” creates a wardrobe shaped by desire and the quiet menace that often trails behind it.
