Eli Russell Linnetz of ERL Is Pitti Uomo’s Guest Designer

In the five years since he launched ERL, Eli Russell Linnetz has ticked most of the boxes that signify success in fashion. CFDA Emerging Designer Award? Collaboration with Kim Jones? Putting A$AP Rocky in a look at the Met Gala? Check, check, check. The one thing he hasn’t done so far is stage his own runway show, instead he releases his ERL collections via elaborately conceived lookbook zines and in-person appointments at Dover Street Market’s 35-37 showroom in Paris. But all that changes on June 14, when Russell Linnetz is to be the guest designer at Pitti Uomo.

“It’s such an opportunity, getting to be at the center of the Renaissance and really seeking to bring something new by just being authentic,” Russell Linnetz said from his Venice Beach headquarters. The vision, he went on, is “surfer boys flocking the streets of Florence.” But he’s planning more than the skate, surf, and snow inflected clothes he’s known for. The invitation reads “California Couture Made in Italy,” and in addition to a bigger emphasis on tailoring (a category he’s become more interested in since his Dior Men experience last year), there will be honest-to-goodness California couture in the form of pieces being worked on by local LA artisans. “Everything will be completely over the top,” he promised. Also: Watch out for ERL eyewear and footwear, which will be making their debuts at Pitti. Both lines will be sold alongside ERL clothes on the brand’s new e-commerce site, which is getting a refresh timed to the show.

“Eli invents and constructs worlds that are nourished by the sunny vitality of California. He gracefully and joyfully mixes art and fashion, merging the inevitable street culture with luxury sportswear. All accompanied by a clear media instinct that is also evident in his recent collaborations with global brands and music stars,” said Lapo Cianchi, Director of Communication and Special Events at Pitti Immagine. “We are certain that his presence at Pitti Uomo will massively energize the whole fashion community.”

First Florence, then the world? Russell Linnetz dismissed a question about first-timer stage fright. “I feel like I need a bigger stage, so this is a small step towards the bigger stage.” A creative director job, maybe? “Yes, I have too many ideas to be sitting here alone in this giant space in Venice. ”