On the heels of an action-packed New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week kicked off this past Friday, and it has a lot to live up to. Erdem Moralioglu, the 35-year-old Canadian-born British-Turkish fashion designer known by his first name alone sent out his Spring 2013 Ready To Wear collection under a domed tent in Manchester Square Gardens. The Erdem label is known for its feminine, romantic and silhouette-enhancing pieces, worn by celebrities and royalty alike (Duchess Kate herself has sported the label many times), but clearly tries to also appeal to the everywoman with its understated elegance and delicate accents. Because of this, there was no surprise when Erdem sent models down the runway draped in florals and lace, often with waist-accentuating lines. The surprise came in the ways in which Erdem realized this, by pairing unlike fabrics and textures together, interweaving silhouette lines and accentuating it all with synthetic colors and busy prints.

The first piece down the runway was a knee-length gray-brown python snakeskin dress accompanied by a powder blue blouson jacket that carried the snakeskin through into the trim. The following pieces in the collection continued toying with snakeskin and light pastels in green and yellow. Later, lace and a mesh-like fabric were incorporated, seen in the bodice of a dress and the overlay of another. Headlining colors included more powder blue and shades of pink, but Erdem made no secret of his love for color here as an expression of power and femininity. He did not shy away from bold bright prints or accents. Towards the conclusion of the show, elaborate gemstones were embroidered on tulle overskirts and three-dimensional creations on intricate lace tops.

The power of the collection was relayed through the pairing of differences, adventurous colors and the layering of fabrics. One could argue that Erdem presented his most modern collection yet. He referred to his collection as exploring the “Otherness,” which was certainly most visually evident in what he called his “uncomfortable color combinations.” He offered his take on the new-age edgy woman, yet stayed true to his aesthetic without departure from his fabrics: lace, tulle and satin, and style of choice: graceful and romantic. Erdem succeeded in creating quite a captivating show.

 

 

Reach reporter Abby Wallman here.