Milan label Act No. 1 is having a take-two. Since cofounder Galib Gassanoff struck out to launch his own label in 2024, Luca Lin has been on a journey of discovery, working with new fabrics, techniques, and silhouettes to boost Act No. 1’s appeal. His efforts are paying off: The label is a 2026 LVMH Prize semifinalist and will head to Paris next week for the next round.
But first, his fall show. Lin’s starting point was classic wardrobe staples, which he could manipulate and reimagine to create new forms. Garments were made with excess fabric, carefully cut to create rounded, billowing sleeves, voluminous and bulbous full-length skirts, and folds at the waist. Elsewhere, shirts in different gradients of blue, burgundy, and brown were layered and fused together to create a one-and-done garment that gives the illusion of clever styling. “I had very traditional design training, so I want to take that standard and use it to mix and match and create something new,” the designer said backstage preshow.
The brand’s first act was defined by tulle, but Lin is keen to experiment looking ahead. This season, he worked with wool for the first time to create intarsia knits, which were twisted and wrapped around the waist and neck.
Lin’s previous preoccupation with tulle meant that the label naturally attracted more women. “We made more feminine items, but this time I wanted to make something more [aligned] with menswear, even though we are a genderless brand,” he said. There were small details to allow for this, with elasticated waists on the trousers to “fit all bodies.”
The strongest looks were patchwork leather jackets and coats in shades of brown, constructed using offcuts from the Lineapelle leather fair. Two structured tops were hand-embroidered with more than 25,000 tiny deadstock buttons sourced from Italian button manufacturer RIBL. “Some of the buttons are more than 50 years old,” said Lin. “It’s nice to give them a new life.”
There were nods to the designer’s Chinese heritage, most overtly on a silk shirt featuring an old Chinese print of a woman, digitally reworked to mimic the color grading of Wong Kar Wai movies. Lin also worked with artisans in China’s Rongjiang and Congjiang counties to create blazers using an ancient hand-weaving technique that gives super-light, naturally dyed cotton a linen-like appearance.
The show finished with two papier-mâché sculptural looks to underscore Lin’s dedication to new forms. After 10 years of building his label, he’s having a special moment of recognition. “I’m so excited it’s all happening,” he said. “I’m really happy right now.”
