Scene setting: Starting in pitch darkness, the Erdem show began with a moving carriage way of female pioneers clutching at basic furnishings and suitcases, barely visible under dimly lit porch lights to the sound of close thunder and heavy rain within a former Kings Cross freight yard. Erdem Moralioglu’s models soon appeared walking two earthen runways up a checking station footbridge on one side and down the other. Paired with the clothes’ Victoriana semblance, the whole scenario had a mid 19th century frontier spirit to it just like a scene from The Piano. In actual fact the backstory referred to Abraham Lincoln’s 1862 Homestead Act, which gave single women and widows (mainly streaming into America from Europe) the right to their own plot of land in the West if they stayed five years.
Mood board: There is always an undercurrent of darkness to an Erdem show, no doubt to contrast his deeply romantic feminine ruffles and lace, and this season it came from this nod to how isolated life must have been for these women alone on the prairies. Moralioglu’s predominant Victorian silhouette was cut high at the neck with cascading tier of flounces to the mid calf. Some came with balloon sleeves that liberally puffed at the elbow, while others were cut-away from the shoulder altogether, showcasing an on-trend flash of the clavicles. These floral silk portrait dresses soon segwayed into virginal white cotton or ticking stripes, which brought to mind a lady’s undergarments on washing day.
Best in show: Moralioglu’s dolly lace cocktail dresses had a graphic undercurrent to them that will see them being swept away by the red carpet in good speed.
INFORMATION
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
-
New York's iconic Breuer Building is now Sotheby's global headquarters. Here's a first lookHerzog & de Meuron implemented a ‘light touch’ in bringing this Manhattan landmark back to life
-
Inside the process of creating the one-of-a-kind book edition gifted to the Booker Prize shortlisted authorsFor over 30 years each work on the Booker Prize shortlist are assigned an artisan bookbinder to produce a one-off edition for the author. We meet one of the artists behind this year’s creations
-
This Mumbai apartment feels pixelated, like walking into a retro video gameA MuseLAB-designed space embraces a repetitive grid pattern, yet manages to feel completely open and unrestrained
-
‘Dirty Looks’ at the Barbican explores how fashion designers have found beauty in dirt and decayFrom garments buried in River Thames mud to those torn, creased and stained, ‘Dirty Looks’ is a testament to how ‘creativity and new artistic practices can come out of decay’, its curators tell Dal Chodha
-
Tyler Mitchell’s London show explores the figure of the Black Dandy, ‘imagining what else masculinity could look like’Originally part of a visual essay to accompany the Met’s ‘Superfine’ 2025 Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Portrait of the Modern Dandy’ goes on display at Gagosian Burlington Arcade in London this week
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
London Fashion Week S/S 2022: eight important insights to know nowFashion brands are back with a bang in The Big Smoke. Here’s everything you need to know from London Fashion Week S/S 2022
