London Fashion Week: Erdem SS21

For the second time during the London Fashion Week this season, a runway has been placed in the middle of a forrest. The starting idea is, of course, different, but in both cases there is a subtle fascination for the deep green of the foliage, its freshness and perfume which can also hide traps. Erdem has chosen this setting because it is the perfect background for its XVIII century inspired collection. 

The story behind the collection goes back to “The Volcano Lover”, book written by Susan Sontag, which tells the story of Emma Hamilton and his husband, a vulcanologist. No romance would fit better than this one to our current times (with one exception, The Plague by Albert Camus). We are all at the mercy of mother nature, benign and powerful, her holds our lives in the palm of her hand. The mental image of the volcano is perfectly tailored. 

Moralioglu, Erdem’s designer, looks often at the past in order to grasp timeless lessons. What he learned so far is that women – and men as well – will never stop desiring clothes. Each look is faithful to Erdem’s aesthetic, with small embroidered flowery patterns, bows and fancy closures, very long gloves and a sense of royalty. Extreme elegance in jewelry as well as hairstyles: hairs are softly cropped and stopped with small bands. 

Cover image courtesy: Erdem