There’s so much to tell you about the new issue of Fantastic Man, which by now should be hitting newsstands, bookstores or your letterboxes. ■ If you’re antsy and can’t wait for the paper object, quite a few of the stories are now available on our handy website. For instance, the gripping story of LUCIEN PAGÈS. ■ Fashion’s favourite Parisian PR agent had a peculiar (if not to say tough) year. But, as you’ll find in SEB EMINA’s story, with amazing portraits by PAUL KOOIKER, he’s in good spirits. ■ Fashion, family, health and a professional fabulation here and there. It’s totally inspiring.

Was this the last summer weekend of 2026 in Europe? About time, you’d say. It’s October and I was in shorts and a T-shirt in Milan and Paris up until this Sunday, it’s crazy. ■ While the fashion shows were mostly presenting womenswear, there are of course many brands showing women’s and men’s combined, so the dreaming for what we’ll wear next spring continues. I surely know what I’ll be wearing from LOEWE: those silky cargo trousers, probably in the sand colour. They’re on the shopping list. ■ Speaking of LOEWE by JACK McCOLLOUGH and LAZARO HERNANDEZ, their current Autumn and Winter 2026 men’s collection is celebrated in full colour in the current Fantastic Man, photographed by total legend WALTER PFEIFFER, with styling by our fashion director at large, JODIE BARNES.

The other menswear highlight of Paris came in the form of TOM FORD. ■ Wow, what designer HAIDER ACKERMANN puts on the runway for the chique tailoring brand is completely wild and exciting. Men in pink thongs, beige briefs, jeans so timeworn that you can enjoy those lovely TOM FORD boxers underneath in full glory, and shorts so short you can hardly call them shorts anymore. ■ Pure inspiration for audacious dressing. Let’s do it.

Also really enjoyed BOTTEGA VENETA in Milan. You’re of course familiar with the notion of “quiet luxury” but BOTTEGA adheres to something like “outrageous normality.” ■ See above: leather trousers, a sleek belt and two tank tops. The surprise is in the execution: the high square neck on the black tank, the jaunty lace on the white one, and the casual layering of extremely elevated pieces. ■ Part of the overall show experience was the presence of a lot of security, some happily manspreading while the parade unfolded. I don’t know what the security was for – the strict protection of attending VIPs? ■ Because of those dedicated guards I definitely didn’t manage to say hi to former cover star TYLER, THE CREATOR (whose profile from 2018 remains one of the most-read pieces in Fantastic Man’s archive, by the way).

But before we get too excited about all the new clothes for next summer, there’ll first be a winter to enjoy. ■ We photographed a series of “new” MONCLER jackets, from their RE/ICONS line, for an online series – shot by LOES DE BOER and styled by LEENDERT SONNEVELT. Seen here, two Karakorum hooded duvet jackets, in brown and deep green. ■ The model is based on a jacket that was invented in 1954 for climbing the world’s second-highest mountain, the K2. Now still perfect to climb on a bike and whizz into town.

And please do seek out a copy of the new THE GENTLEWOMAN. Tennis superstar COCO GAUFF is on the cover, and inside is the great story of 91-year-old and still-active ocean diver SYLVIA EARLE, two young screenwriters taking Hollywood by storm, and, I’m not kidding, a two-sided GUCCI poster. One side features Canadian pop idol SHAWN MENDES. Once upon a time it totally would have graced my teenage bedroom wall.

Correspondent GIJS VEENING discovered a new (tiny) shop in Amsterdam. ■ In an unassuming side street off Haarlemmerstraat in Amsterdam, JOAN OF ARC sells (vintage) clothing and curiosities from Mexico and Japan. The store is a reflection of its owner, who has spent years collecting trinkets and working with small brands around the world. ■ Highlights include antique Japanese ceramics and niche perfumes you won’t find anywhere else. Perfect for gift shopping. From time to time the store hosts pop-ups from other curators and even a Japanese wine tasting. ■ It’s easy to mistake the shop for someone’s house, but this kind of adds to the charm.

■ There’s a new solo show by artist MARTIN MARGIELA in Berlin. I love the sculpture of a thick latex skin draped over a VERNER PANTON chair. Until 19 December.
■ Our photographer friend DANA LIXENBERG’s show ‘American Images’, previously seen in Paris, is now on view at the KBr in Barcelona, until 17 January 2027.
■ Opening 14 October, during Frieze, the JW ANDERSON store in Pimlico, London hosts an exhibition that includes, among others, CERITH WYN EVANS. You may remember the great artist from his feature in Fantastic Man #2, 21 years ago!
■ ‘The Living Realm’ by JORDAN TANNAHILL, a cherished contributor to BUTT magazine, is a great new short novel set in summery, sexy Berlin.
■ Athenaeum, our favourite bookstore in Amsterdam (if not the whole world) is celebrating 60 years in business. Gefeliciteerd!