AT SOME point in a designer’s career the city that they live in takes control of their creative inspiration. The dirty streets become romantic once again and the pollution acts like a foreign perfume seducing you into only seeing the beauty in the mundane.
This change in perspective reached Erdem Moralioglu just in time for his 15th anniversary collection, a love letter to London’s distinct accepting soul.
But instead of using architecture to begin to confess his love, he uses poet Edith Sitwell and Lady Ottoline Morrell, two extraordinary women who were allergic to fitting in and relished in standing out.
Both ladies were ridiculed for their otherness, dressed differently from what was considered fashionable at that time and were occasionally even described as neurotic or even pretentious.
However, it is all these things that drew the designer to them and mirrors how Erdem was founded to be a brand that empowers individual expression.
The SS22 collection references the quintessential pieces that were adorned by Morrell and Sitwell; trench coats with mother-of-pearl buttons, oversized satin hats and patchwork quilted dresses.
Materials included waxed cottons, crushed linens and lace which were met with juxtaposing bold floral motifs, shrunken contemporary knits and durable tweed fabric balancing city with country, and the past with the present.
Bringing these protagonist’s back to life in his ode to London cements the beauty within the city and within the British brand. Individualism has always been found in the depths of the capital and even to this day it is something that is celebrated.
With that said, using the celebration of Erdem’s anniversary to push acceptance at the forefront proves he is very much here to stay in the beating heart of London’s fervent spirit.
by Imogen Clark