BEAUTY: Clothing--ERL

Newish brand ERL is pretty much a one-man operation, headed by Eli Russell Linnetz. Born and raised in Venice, California, he is a multi-talented screen and voice actor, director, photographer, and stage designer who studied screenwriting and costume design at the University of Southern California. In 2016, he directed Kanye West’s “Fade” video, starring Teyona Taylor. By the following year, he was photographing a campaign for Comme des Garçons perfumes. He subsequently directed several music Videos for West and photographed celebrities like Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez. 

Only in its third season, ERL sports a specific Californian vibe and while the clothing in this collection might not be revolutionary or singularly artistic, it is this exact vibe that tickles me. A sort of 1970s/1980s daydream of California surfer/ski boys in underwear and long johns, it feels like an homage to gay porn from that period (if anyone dares, Google "The Summer of Scott Noll").

Titled "The Final Frontier," his Fall-Winter 21-22 collection riffs on the Space Age, the shaggy/Glam ’70s, and a tiny bit of the gaudy ’80s with some Liberace-like eveningwear. He collaborated with French sportswear and equipment brand Salomon for a few ski-inspired pieces, but I especially love the fluffy, furry shearling that is made from...wait for it...a newly invented corn-fiber material so it is completely sustainable and vegan!

https://www.elirusselllinnetz.com/erl