What could be more iconic than Joan Collins arriving 30 minutes late to your fashion show after reportedly getting stuck in lift? Frankly nothing. So Erdem’s autumn/winter 19 show was already off to a good start before we even mention the clothes.
Bookended by model and four-time i-D cover star Guinevere Van Seenus — who opened in a large emerald green coat and closed in a magenta dress, both printed with black roses — the clothes were, as to be expected, elaborate and opulent and full of energy. Inspired not by Dame Joan, but by Princess Orietta Doria Pamphilj — a fitting muse for a brand favoured by Royals — who resided in a 1000-room Italian palace until her death in 2000, the show notes painted a picture of Orietta stalking the halls of the palazzo searching for clarity on the legacy of inheritance back in the 1960s. “Her footsteps echo down the endless corridors, watched over by the solemn faces of her ancestors,” they explained.
As Debussy played through the National Portrait Gallery, models marched out in beautiful, elaborate dresses, suits and coats. The black rose prints. The fascinators. The high necklines. It was a wardrobe fit for a member of the bourgeoisie, perhaps best described as “outfits to wear to your second husband’s funeral”.
Where much of London Fashion Week was understated and muted, Erdem up the ante on elaborate fashions.
Credits
Photography @mitchell_sams