Erdem Brand
Erdem Presents Its New Pre-Spring 2026 Collection
Luxferity, 05.06.2025
For Pre-Spring 26, Erdem has delved into the pioneering work of Maria Sibylla Merian, the 17th Century German entomologist and botanical illustrator. At a time in history when independent-minded women were still being accused of witchcraft, Merian defied societal expectations, divorcing her first husband and travelling to South America with her daughter to further her naturalist studies in the wild. She published her first book of botanical illustrations in 1675 and in 1705 was the first person to discover the lifecycle and metamorphosis of the butterfly. Based in Amsterdam, Merian was also a devout Calvinist, and it is this tension between her fearful religious doctrine, her scientific rationale and her unbridled passion for nature that Erdem explores here.
Rubis Big Bang Handbag
Merian’s tenacity was bold and brave. To discover the lifecycle of the butterfly was an extraordinary act. As a woman, to challenge the god-fearing faith of 17th Century society with such a rational, scientific proposition was courageous. The collection plays with the contrasts of strictness and looseness, formality and rebellion. 17th Century Dutch details are juxtaposed with modern elements that feel confidently feminine and romantic. Lace is used with great effect, echoing the Calvinist collars of the era. Here it is subverted, playing with scale to become more like capes than collars, or gathered and draped into dresses and elsewhere used to embroider suits with sharper silhouettes. 17th Century necklines lend an elegant primness to velvet cocktail dresses. Strict white shirts with cotton detailing belong in the paintings of Dutch Masters, imbued with a certain modernity too.
Space Big Bang Handbag
Merian’s botanical and insect illustrations recur in different treatments - embroidered, printed, etched, in different scales and colour combinations. They bring their own moods to different looks: a graphic edge when etched on a motorcycle jacket and leather skirt; smaller embellishments to knitwear have a feminine gentility; over-sized almost sculptural appliques on gowns and coats feel dramatic and romantic simultaneously. Draped dresses bear literal text and illustrations from Merian’s books, as if she is wearing their very pages. A sense of metamorphosis underpins the collection; it is as if we are watching her transform and emerge before our eyes.
Bubble Gum Big Bang Handbag
Blue Sky Big Bang Handbag
Promenade Goutte D'Eau
Promenade Guilloché Soleil Ivoire
Promenade Guilloché Soleil Bleu Nuit
Tweety Big Bang Handbag
Daktari Big Bang Handbag
James Aviator Sunglasses (Rose Gold / Brown)
James Aviator Sunglasses (Silver & Blue / Blue)
