Relative | MO

Erdem – the eponymous London ready-to-wear line, established in 2005 by Erdem Moralioglu – has won plaudits for its modern luxurious feminine chic – a signature fusing sharp, forward tailoring with romanticism and bold graphic custom designed silk prints. “They made for a spellbinding show by an exceptional talent whose self-taught standards of workmanship almost put his creations on an equal footing with some of the things seen in haute couture.” wrote American Vogue’s contributing editor, Sarah Mower of Erdem’s latest step forward. Erdem reiterates how women can dress beautifully again.

Erdem Moralioglu was raised in Montreal, Canada by his Turkish father and English mother, and studied fashion in both Canada and England. Having received his master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in 2003, Erdem worked for Diane von Furstenberg in New York. After moving back to London, Erdem worked towards covering the void of graceful femininity among the London fashion talent and launched his own label and an overnight buzz about the brand commenced. By adopting sponsorships with numerous fabric manufacturers, such as Mackintosh, the venerable Scottish rainwear brand, Sofie Hallette, the French lace supplier to many couture houses, and Swarovski, the famouscrystal house. Erdem has been able to experiment with the best in quality fabrics, while staying true to his whimsical form and use of bold colour. The brand also brings about a playful use of embellishment in its creations, using embroidery in a youthful manner.

Erdem won in 2007 the Swarovski British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award, as well as the BFC’s Fashion Forward award in 2008 from the British Fashion Council. In 2009, Elle Magazine awarded Erdem the “Fashion Future Award” at the Elle Style awards in London. His AW09 show was listed on Style.com’s rundown of top 10 shows of the season.

The combination of strong yet fanciful design and quality fabrication has led to the brand’s commercial success, now sold globally in the most exclusive department and specialty stores. Erdem has 35 stockists internationally, including Barney’s New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dover St. Market, Harvey Nichols in London and Hong Kong. The brand can be found in 45 doors globally and online with net-a-porter.com. Erdem has registered well amongst the fashion savvy crowd, having noted Kiera Knightly, Erin O’Connor, Thandie Newton, Chloe Sevigny, and Claudia Schiffer as fans of the brand, as well Julie Gilhart, creative director of Barneys.

Four years after the company’s beginnings, Erdem has solidly become one of the most popular shows to see during London Fashion Week.

www.erdem.co.uk