Erdem Moralıoğlu toned down the aristocratic glamour this season, delivering a collection that felt more nonchalant and decadent than posh and overdone. His inspiration was Hélène Smith, a late-19th-century French psychic and artist who claimed to experience visions of belonging to Marie Antoinette’s court. Somehow, all of that translated seamlessly into Erdem’s collection: high-neck lace dresses were slashed into liberating mini lengths; exquisitely embroidered and embellished coats carried a cool, airy volume that suggested an artist’s wardrobe; and unexpected splashes of neon – new territory for Erdem – sent eveningwear and sheer robes into a psychedelic register reminiscent of Dries Van Noten. With this latest work, it seems Erdem is carving out a new method for navigating his once overly-regal universe.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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