Erdem: Ready-To-Wear SS24

There’s always a story with Erdem. The designer weaves narratives into his work which is richer for it. ‘Debo’ The Duchess of Devonshire, the coolest Mitford sister, and grandmother of Stella Tennant, was more than a muse for him. She was almost a collaborator, he was given extensive access to her archives and wardrobe at Chatsworth House, the vast pile, which she saved for the nation. Her most tangible contribution was the Chatsworth curtain fabric (she never thew things away and was a great advocate of make do and mend) which he patchworked into his Barbour collaboration and used chintzy swatches for ballgowns. 

The fashionable aristocrat who died in 2014, aged 94, had legendary style. Asked where she bought her clothes, she said: “After agricultural shows, Marks & Spencer is the place to go shopping, and then Paris. After that, nothing is much good.” By Paris she meant couture. She had chutzpah and idiosyncratic style (the hallmark of Erdem women) and he fed it into his collection. Full skirted, vividly printed skirts and dresses, mined a mid-century silhouette. 

Her famous collection of bug jewellery inspired cute insect antennae head pieces. Her love of Elvis prompted glamorous studded leather jackets inspired by his vegas era. And were the flamboyant pumps with floppy fabric bows on the toes inspired by the rare-breed chickens Debo was passionate about. It was a rich tapestry, beautifully put together with plenty of allure. Fashions come and go but style lives for ever. Debo knew that and so does Erdem.