Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Best of London Fashion Week

Erdem FW11

by Grace Gordon

One may think that Erdem’s adherence to his floral regime is restrictive, but he manages to make it fresh every season. This collection was in keeping with Erdem’s fashion ethos, but strayed into even more highbrow, artistic territory than ever before. Refreshingly, there was not a smidge of menswear influence anywhere to be seen on the Erdem runway. Instead, he stuck with ladylike dresses and strictly feminine silhouettes.

The abstract floral-print dresses were stunning against a dark backdrop of navy and black. They sparkled and swirled like nebulas in the Milky Way. The darkness of the floral prints made this collection more solid and romantic than light and cheerful. On the second outfit in the show, the print shimmered like stardust. Lace overlays and undone tweed gave each piece a ramshackle, rather than polished, feel. The clothes, though ethereally beautiful, appeared lived in. Floral abstract-print gloves in bright colors nearly stole the show, as it was the one look that got consistently high marks from onlookers.

The deconstructionist nature of many of the dresses, and the frizzy-haired, dark-eyed models reminds one of runaway passions. This poetic collection presses up against our dark side with urgent beauty, demanding that we indulge our every moment of ecstasy and despair.