Erdem Presents Its New Spring Summer 2023 Collection

“Grief is the price we pay for love.”

This show is dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

For Spring Summer 2023, Erdem has explored the restoration of art.

The knowledge, skill and dedication required in restoration is both a visceral and a technical form of creativity. It requires forensic passion; individual pieces might be worked upon by a sole restorer for up to twenty years. The collection examines the space between care and obsession in the pursuit of preservation.

One can peer so deeply into the imagination of others that the boundaries between restoration and inhabitation become blurred. Is it possible that she has studied her material so closely she has started to become it?

Together with his studio team, Erdem spent time with restoration experts at the British Museum, Tate, the V&A and the National Gallery. They witnessed an 18th century embroidered dress being revived with a complex tulle under structure. One particularly damaged 15^th century oil was being brought back to life based on a 17^th century Dutch etching of the painting. Restoration is not only about repair; it is an immersive act that asks one to see and feel through the eyes of others, too.

I would like to thank the following people for allowing me into their fascinating worlds:
Louisa Burden and the conservation team at The British Museum
Jacqueline Moon, Charity Fox, Emily Williams and
Jordan Megyery at Tate
Lara Flecker, Katy Smith, Keira Miller, Louisa Geddes, Nora Brockmann, Lilia Tisdall and Roisin Morris at The Victoria and Albert Museum
Larry Keith at The National Gallery

• Look 1
  

Single breasted jacket with moulded peplum and draped pencil skirt in black grain de poudre with engineered 18^th century remnant embroidery, veiled in tulle

• Look 2
  

Black faille corset dress with draped skirt in pieced 18th century remnant embroidery and trailing ribbon embroidery

• Look 3
  

Pencil dress with hand draped bodice in chartreuse cotton faille with floral bouquet embroidery and extended tails

• Look 4
  

White cotton faille hand draped bodice with pencil skirt in exploded etched Old Masters print, worn over cotton poplin shirt

• Look 5
  

Cotton faille pencil dress with hand draped bodice in exploded etched Old Masters print with conservation record, draped waist and extended tails

• Look 6
  

Trench coat with extended train in chartreuse cotton faille with floral bouquet embroidery, pieced front panels and train in exploded tapestry print and conservation record

• Look 7
  

Shirtdress with caped volume in white cotton poplin with pieced 18^th century remnant embroidery

• Look 8
  

Couture shirtdress with flicked cuff sleeves and trained skirt with back tie detail in chartreuse cotton faille with exploded tapestry floral print

• Look 9
  

Optic white cotton poplin shirtdress with pieced skirt in exploded etched Old Masters print with conservation record, collaged 18th century remnant embroidery and jacquard cuff with crystal applique

• Look 10
  

Dress with shaped neckline, boned waist and full skirt in raw linen with 18th century pieced pattern print with blue jacquard remnant and conservation record

• Look 11
  

Cotton faille corset dress with hand draped bodice in exploded etched Old Masters print

• Look 12
  

Mixed jacquard bralet, worn with pencil skirt in raw linen with 18th century pieced pattern print with jacquard remnant and conservation record

• Look 13

Floral organza fil coupe exposed seam skeletal corset dress with draped skirt and conservation record

• Look 14
  

Hand draped corset bodice in optic white faille layered over cotton poplin shirt, worn with skeletal draped skirt in lemon yellow organza cloque

• Look 15
  

Layered sheer tromp l’oeil shirtdress with flicked cuff sleeves in optic white organza cloque veiling an engineered Old Masters floral printed cotton faille underdress

• Look 16
  

Dress with shaped neckline and full tiered skirt in coral organza cloque, worn with skeletal tulle corset

• Look 17
  

Couture car coat in optic white cloque, worn with cotton poplin shirt and engineered Old Masters floral printed cotton faille pencil skirt

• Look 18
  

Bralet and skirt with corset waist detail in white cotton seersucker

• Look 19
  

Pencil dress in ravaged hand appliqued Old Masters embroidered flower patches worn with a cotton seersucker bralet

• Look 20
  

Couture car coat in shredded fringed Old Masters floral printed jacquard with suspended woven floats and ravaged hem

• Look 21
  

Dress with shaped neckline and full tiered skirt in shredded fringed Old Masters floral printed jacquard with suspended woven floats and ravaged hem

• Look 22
  

Hand painted black floral chine cotton bralet and skirt with corset waist detail

• Look 23
  

Hand painted empire line dress with boned bodice and full tiered skirts in chartreuse floral printed chine

• Look 24
  

Corset dress with draped skirt in lemon floral printed chine cotton with hand painted bodice, worn with a cotton seersucker bra top

• Look 25
  

Exposed seam sleeveless dress with draped flounced skirt and raw finish in optic white pieced lace with trailing ribbon detail belt

• Look 26
  

Skeletal exposed seam corset dress with draped flounced skirt and raw finish in sky blue pieced lace with trailing ribbon belt

• Look 27
  

Exposed seam corset dress with draped skirt in raw linen and floral jacquard with engineered chartreuse crystal hand embellishment and conservation record

• Look 28
  

Couture car coat in hand painted pieced jacquard with crystal remnant embellishment and conservation record, worn with cotton poplin shirt

• Look 29
  

Raw linen pencil dress with engineered green crystal hand embellishment and Watteau back in exploded optic white tulle

• Look 30
  

Trapeze dress with Watteau back in hand painted pieced mixed jacquard with crystal embellishment and conservation record

• Look 31
  

Bodice with shaped peplum in raw linen with engineered green crystal hand embellishment and raw finish, worn with ravaged jacquard and tulle skirt with conservation record

• Look 32
  

Hand draped corset dress in engineered pieced 18th century remnant embroidery on lemon cotton faille with trailing ribbon belt, worn with veil

• Look 33
  

Corset dress with hand draped bodice in floral bouquet embroidery on sky blue cotton faille with trailing ribbon belt, worn with veil

• Look 34
  

Pieced slip dress in crystal hand embellished coral satin, coral embroidered sequins and diamante georgette with raw finish, veiled in glass organza

• Look 35
  

Skeletal tulle corset in lemon yellow with crystal hand embellishment worn with pencil skirt in pieced sequin and diamante georgette and veiled in glass organza

• Look 36
  

Pieced slip dress in crystal hand embellished sky blue satin, embroidered sequins and diamante georgette with raw finish, veiled in glass organza

• Look 37
  

Ravaged dress with cut-out back in hand embroidered lemon tulle and pearl latticework with trailing ribbon belt

• Look 38
  

Corset dress with draped skirt in hand embroidered chartreuse tulle and pearl latticework with trailing ribbon belt

• Look 39
  

Skeletal bra top and long skirt with ravaged train in optic white hand embroidered tulle and pearl latticework with trailing ribbon belt

• Look 40
  

Single breasted jacket with moulded peplum in black grain de poudre, optic white embroidered floral tulle overlay and ravaged tulle underskirt, worn with veil

• Look 41
  

Skeletal corset dress in black with hand draped bodice and ravaged skirt in couture netting and floral embroidered tulle in black, worn with veil

• Look 42
  

Skeletal corset dress in optic white with extended train and hand draped bodice, ravaged skirt in couture netting and floral embroidered tulle in black, worn with veil