Picture it, Florence, 2176. Sea levels have risen and the city is under water. A shoal of Californian surfers flock to the city to catch some waves. Whilst there they find themselves at a surreal ball. They raid the wardrobe of the host. This is ERL. Eli Russell Linnetz’s eighth collection and first ever runway show. And what better way to make your debut than at Pitti Uomo?

Traipsing down a garish lime-green runway, a battalion of sun-kissed young men, many of them legitimate surfers who Linnetz street-cast (or sea-cast?) from Venice Beach, paraded themselves in a mash-up of high-camp costumery and tailored finery. Though set in the far future, there was a touch of the 1990s about Linnetz’s collection. His bloated Etnies-style skate shoes, the gregarious top hats that scream Jay Kay, the sunglasses that wouldn’t look out of place on Dennis Rodman’s face, and even the models themselves, all of whom looked fresh off the set of Baywatch after their season arc as a trainee heartthrob.

There was a sort of iconoclasm to many of Linnetz’s pieces, mostly due to his rendering of skate and surf style through handmade, artisanal practices. Metal studs made way for crystal embellishments, baggy skate wear was reimagined through silk taffeta, and shimmering wet suits were bedazzled in sequins.