“I feel like California is always pulled between the two worlds of the Wild West and innovation,” begins Eli Russell Linnetz from his swoop-roofed studio in Venice Beach, California, “and on both sides are trailblazers, artists, and people who think outside the box.” The iconoclastic artist is wearing a silver glitter sweater and goggle-like glasses, taking me on a FaceTime around the space, where hundreds of pictures of his latest collection are scattered on the floor. Together, we’re trying not to freak out—about AI killing creativity, about robots becoming sentient, about ICE raiding homes and business around the country, about how every time Eli drops a collection, the world is in a state of panic. The world is always in a state of panic.
But for Linnetz, inspiration still has to strike. He produces a couple collections a year for his brand, ERL, in California, and is also working on his debut feature film. (He doesn’t want to say too much about that, just that—just that he’s looking to cast lots of unknown talents.) On the fashion front, he’s lately been “cutting things up, and sewing them together inside out,” playing with deconstruction and reconstruction. Examining the guts of something. The most stunning realization of that in this collection is a leather jacket with dozens of jacket linings dancing around its bodice like tattered wings.
On paper—literally and spiritually—the jumping-off point for this season is the work of Peter Berlin. A fellow iconoclastic Californian, Berlin has a similar push-button energy to Linnetz. His 1970s gay erotic works—on film, in photography, and through fashion (often created using himself and his life as the canvas)—helped create an angsty, leather-centric moment in queer culture, a Cali counter to the Tom of Finland movement happening in Europe. “I’m very internal in how I work too, operating in my own bubble, in my own world,” Linnetz says. “So I really liked how Peter works. This guy creating art for himself.” B-movies like The Dirty Dozen and kitschy cut-outs of Marlon Brando flesh out a kind of campy, bad boy look. “The collection feels very aggressive or chaotic,” Linnetz begins, “but to me there’s still a playfulness. It’s a quirky, campy, B-movie kind of vision.”
Cast on a new series of slightly more menacing, but still heart of gold, It boys Linnetz found in jiu-jitsu studios and sushi restaurants, the collection continues his California Couture ethos. That means everything is made in California, including a new denim range (strapping and hearty), grungy flannels (now with double collars and pockets), and all-over print hoodies with Berlin’s graphics and rhinestones. “As I start working on my feature film, this was me just kind of getting more into almost costume,” he says, noting that the panache doesn’t come at the sacrifice of function.
As for what’s next, Linnetz will present another menswear collection in Paris later this month, continue working on his feature film, and probably pull a few more rabbits out of his proverbial hat. He describes the balancing act of being Eli Russell Linnetz like this: “I have these two polar sides of me—one is reclusive artist and the other one is American businessman.” We’re glad he’s struck on both—and if you have a big wrench and wanna be in his upcoming movie… just DM i-D.