Erdem Moralioglu mined the troubled, but culturally vibrant, years between the two world wars for this collection that paired masculine with feminine and teamed fluid 1920s and 1930s shapes with more structured silhouettes inspired by stage costumes.
His muse was Barbette, a Texas-born male trapeze artist who performed as a woman and who became a darling of avant-garde artists and writers in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, including Jean Cocteau and Man Ray.
A lineup of languid gowns and tops came with tucks and drapes fixed with sparkly pins or rosettes. Other gowns were made from sheer, hand-embroidered tulle, metallized satin or lace, and came with subtle folds or wispy ruffles.
The more dramatic pieces took their cues from the stage, and circus. One dress had full skirts made from rippling bits of cloqué and flourishes of marabou and crystal, while cage skirts were overlaid with embroidered, transparent lace and paired with structured, embroidered bra-tops.
Other sculptural pieces included a white, molded top with a padded peplum, which the designer paired with saucy black lace tap pants.
As always, tailoring played a strong supporting role, and the silhouettes took their cues from the interwar period. Oversize suits came with high waisted, wide-leg trousers, while a dark single-breasted coat had a flapper-ish drop waist, and colorful floral embroidery around the pockets.
Moralioglu winked to Barbette’s Texan heritage with a strong denim lineup, pairing his elegant draped or embellished tops with wide-leg jeans. He went full double-denim with a stone-colored jeans and matching workwear jacket, and gave the latter an Erdem touch, adding diamanté brooches to the collar.
It was a graceful performance. Erdem, take a bow.
