More than 50 guests had the opportunity to enjoy a private luncheon Oct. 21 with Montreal-raised and now London-based fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu (his mother is English and his father is Turkish). This event took place at the home of Janet True, former president of PONCHO.
Nordstrom flew Erdem in for the luncheon benefit that was followed by a trunk show with the designer at Bellevue Square Nordstrom Saturday.
Erdem graduated with a Master’s from the Royal College of Art and launched his eponymous label in 2005 after working for a short time with fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg in New York. Erdem is celebrated for his unique use of prints, lace and embroidery, which he custom creates digitally and has manufactured in textile mills both in London and in France.
So, who is the Erdem woman?.
“A clever person who probably cares little about the seasons. She has a lot of conviction and marches to her own drum,” Erdem said.
As the models entered the room wearing his spring/summer 2012 creations, his signature aesthetic became apparent – gracefully modern, extremely beautiful and romantically feminine. Erdem shared that the world-famous London Savoy Hotel was his inspiration for this new collection, which was shown at that hotel in September.
Erdem said the hotel’s “incredible Edwardian and Art Deco interiors were influential in creating each garment.”
You could visually understand his love for textiles: his own floral designs; French crepes, silks and antique lace from an old lace mill in France; washed chiffon; jersey knits; and lovely hand-embroidered tulle.
His color palettes included soft pastels, white and neutrals. All of his silhouettes nicely formed the female body in a soft and feminine way.
Accessories were minimal, but included graceful shoes in the same or complimentary fabric as the garment, along with his new line of Erdem sunglasses. It was truly a collection that every woman would love to wear and “be seen in.”
Erdem’s fashion followers include the Duchess of Cambridge, Michelle Obama, Kiera Knightly, Chloe Sevigny, Sarah Jessica Parker and Julianne Moore. After last weekend, he will surely have a larger customer base in the Seattle area.
Rose Dennis writes about events in Bellevue and the Greater Seattle area. She lives in Bellevue.
