By Design: Erdem Moralıoğlu

By Design is a free online talk series hosted by Sir John Soane’s Museum in partnership with Luke Irwin. Inspired by Soane’s own extraordinary collection, internationally renowned designers from across the world of design discuss their practice through a single object. In this talk, Alice Rawsthorn speaks with fashion designer Erdem Moralıoğlu.

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About the Speakers
Erdem Moralıoğlu

ERDEM is an independent house of bold fashion for women, based in London. Founded in 2005 by designer Erdem Moralıoğlu, the brand has forged its own path within the industry. Poetic and rigorous, ageless and timeless, powerful and versatile, Erdem’s world is an intriguing interplay of strength and beauty.

In fifteen years, Erdem has established an exuberant language of femininity that transcends fashion to inspire strength and confidence in the women for whom he designs. It is a passionate language that is evocative and eccentric in character, fluently spoken with a beauty that is intense and romantic.

The house of ERDEM is cultured and erudite, underpinned by a belief in the power and skill of craftsmanship. Mind and hand work together to bring imagination to life with precision, artistry and the compelling dexterity of the handmade. Respect for traditional skills is combined with an excitement for innovation, in technique and application.

Erdem is at heart a storyteller. Collections are formed around a narrative championing heroic women at a particular place and a moment in time. Erdem’s fashion is dramatic, atmospheric and expressive in the service of emotion: it is not what she wears, but how she feels that matters.

Alice Rawsthorn

Alice Rawsthorn is an award-winning design critic and author whose latest book is the critically acclaimed Design as an Attitude. Her weekly design column for The New York Times was syndicated worldwide for over a decade. Alice has spoken at important events including TED and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Born in Manchester and based in London, Alice is chair of trustees at Chisenhale Gallery in London and was awarded an OBE for services to design and the arts. A founding member of the Writers for Liberty campaign for human rights and freedoms. Alice is co-founder of the Design Emergency research platform on design’s role in building a better future.