Colleges are about fitting in, and so Eli Russell Linnetz found himself hunting down Sperry Top-Siders and Vineyard Vines critter shorts on eBay during his film studies at the University of South California.

“Believe it or not, I joined a fraternity, and there’s so much pomp and circumstance around what you wear, and this weird hierarchy of taste and power,” he related over Google Meet.

His spring collection and look-book shoot followed a similar, fantasy narrative about a student named Ivy who becomes obsessed with headmaster Christian and begins to adopt his more sophisticated, grown-up looks.

Hence Linnetz’s spring ERL collection emits a more mature vibe with its subdued colors and a continuing exploration of tailoring, although the suits have a youthful flair, cut boxy in linen or nylon. He paused his signature wave motif and groovy pastels – ERL is based in Venice Beach – and included only a single print: a bold floral for a loose rayon shirt.

The cozy hoodies, vaguely grunge hoodies and beat-up cargo shorts are still there, but also roomy shirts and short shorts, two recurring silhouettes this season.

Linnetz didn’t make it to Paris because he’s in pre-production for a feature film he wrote, describing it as “a ’70s college film. There’s definitely a lot of like humor to it, but it’s a thriller, it’s emotional.”

He’s also fine-tuning the interior concept for a forthcoming flagship store in Venice Beach, and his first boutique in South Korea, where his business is booming thanks partly to his “I Did What Last Night?” ringer T-shirt that’s been adopted by numerous K-pop stars.

“It’s pretty interesting. We’ve really just taken off there,” he related. “I feel like they understand what I’m saying.”