Erdem AW15

Initial reaction:

In the abandoned Hotel Industrial above Selfridges, Erdem Moralioğlu staged his latest collection that combined the eccentricity of old English interiors with Paris bohemian chic. A pocketbook of visual references handed out at the show revealed Kim Novak, Claudia Cardinale and Romy Schneider, the beautiful and enigmatic females from Luchino Visconti and Alfred Hitchcock’s films as character signposts for the season.

The intellectual:

Moralioğlu said that his primary inspiration didn't come from the aforementioned actresses specifically, but rather the Frieze Masters artist Robin Brown, whom he worked with on the installations. In his recent project for Frieze entitled The Collector, Brown imagined how an intellectual's flat would have looked in Paris during the political unrest of 1968. Moralioğlu’s woman is not dissimilar, in that she is passionate about politics, literature, music, art and drink, and it reflected in the way she lived. “She’s watching ‘La Dolce Vita’ on repeat and trying to write her first novel,” he said post-show. 

Boots and brocades:

The odd, Victorian botanist – Erdem’s protagonist from last season – in city life. Flat riding boots paired with frocks made from cut out panels of upholstery brocades felt fresh and rich. The evening gowns – ribbed knits that segued into silky brocade trains peppered with ostrich feathers – were as protective as they were beautiful.