Erdem - by Erdem Moralioglu (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A landmark first book from the celebrated British designer, Erdem Moralioglu, published to coincide with his 20th year in fashion.

ERDEM is a poetic and personal immersion into the world of Erdem Moralioglu and the globally renowned fashion house he has built over two decades. The monograph delves into the designer's vision and process, underpinned by his vivid imagination and narrative flair. The book captures Erdem's inspirations and obsessions, the muses and collaborators that forge his compelling approach to fashion and design.

Echoing Erdem's own layering of historical references and cultural touchstones, the book interweaves primary source material, artworks and photography from seminal 20th and 21st century names including Alasdair McLellan, Campbell Addy, Craig McDean, Ethan James Green, Inez & Vinoodh, Juergen Teller, Steven Klein and Tyler Mitchell. A striking portrait series by Paul Kooiker of Guinevere van Seenus embodies the multiple, mercurial characters of Erdem's female muses, introducing archival looks from two decades of collections. Short stories, scripts, recipes, interviews and contributions from close friends, ardent admirers and long-time collaborators of the house, ground each chapter with context and insight. Erdem's own photography reveals more candid moments in his studio and backstage at his shows.

This monograph establishes Erdem's position, not just as one of the most celebrated contemporary independent fashion designers, but as a virtuoso of the 21st century.

Authored by Erdem Moralioglu; foreword by Anna Wintour; contributions by Andrew Bolton, Charlie Porter, Christian Lacroix, Glenn Close, Hanya Yanagihara, IB Kamara, Maria Balshaw, Nicholas Cullinan, Olivier Gabet, Polly Stenham, Ruthie Rogers, Sarah Mower, and Tim Blanks.

Review Quotes

"And yet...does one really need fashion week when they have @rizzolibooks." -- Carla Rockmore

"Moralioglu's first book, "Erdem," published with Rizzoli, is a medley of the label's archival images from the past two decades, spliced with essays from friends and collaborators like Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the British Museum, and Andrew Bolton, a prominent fashion curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are snapshots of Moralioglu's parents and twin sister alongside his early sketches, and portraits of the muses who have inspired him (including the dancer Adele Astaire, sister of Fred Astaire, who left Broadway to marry a lord and live in an Irish castle, and Fanny and Stella, a pair of Victorian-era drag performers). The book also contains surprising tributes, like a recipe for strawberry sorbet by Ruth Rogers, a founder of London's River Café, who likens the dessert to a pink Erdem dress from 2017, and a gossipy scene from a play by Polly Stenham. "The book moves through fragments," says Moralioglu in his introduction, "moments, voices and images that together build a larger picture. It is my story, yes, but also the story of everyone who has helped shape this journey with me..." -- New York Times

About the Author

Born in Montreal to a Turkish father and British mother, Erdem Moralioglu graduated with an M.A from London's Royal College of Art in 2003. His first womenswear collection debuted in 2005 and quickly gained recognition with its poetic and bold language of modern femininity.

As an independent fashion house, ERDEM has forged its own path in the industry. Each collection is centred around a forensically researched narrative and a belief in the power of craftsmanship. Collections are formed with a muse in mind, depicting stories of heroic women.

ERDEM has received global recognition and industry accolades, including the 2010 inaugural British Fashion Council / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Award and the 2014 BFC Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. The brand opened its flagship store in Mayfair in 2015. In 2020, Erdem was honoured with an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his contribution to the fashion industry.

A passionate supporter of the arts, Erdem has shown his collections in a series of historically and culturally significant London locations, including: The British Museum, The National Portrait Gallery, Sadler's Wells, White Cube and The V&A. In 2024, Erdem opened Imaginary Conversations at Chatsworth, an exhibition dedicated to the process of creating the Spring Summer 24 collection and its muse, Duchess Deborah. Erdem collaborated with The Royal Ballet, designing costumes for Christopher Wheeldon's piece, Corybantic Games, the ballet debuted at The Royal Opera House in 2018 and returned to the stage in 2023. Pieces from Erdem's collections have been exhibited globally, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, The Palais Galleria and The Louvre in Paris.