Runway Bonanza Part 5: Erdem

Florals can be tricky. There are a lot of pitfalls to avoid: done wrong, florals can make a grown woman look like she's trying to be a ten-year-old, or worse, like a Laura Ashley interior. Also, blooms that are either too large or too small on the wrong garment can make the wearer look bigger than she really is. That's why it's so impressive that Erdem showed a fantastic Spring 2010 collection that featured floral prints on many of the looks. Take the first look, for example:


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

From afar, the dress avoids looking prissy because of the short hemline and grown-up neckline (when was the last time you saw a simple standing collar on a little girl's dress?), but then up close it's even more fresh and hip because of the fantastic texture.

In later looks, the florals were appliquéd on silks, dispersing in spots to reveal the fabric underneath. This allowed designer Erdem Moralioglu to play with patterns twice over in the same garment: once in the floral itself and again in how and where they were applied.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

Still other experiments with florals were done with "flat" printed fabrics rather than embroidery. While choosing complicated cuts is usually pointless with such an intense pattern, Moralioglu was able to show some interesting cuts that blended well with the patterns. You might only be able to see them when you are very close to the dress, but that's why it's great: like a Seurat painting, there's more to see once you're close up.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

Later looks involving lace were perhaps less interesting but no less beautiful. Like the florals, they also managed to be modern and not too fussy. The spare hair and makeup selected for the models did help in that respect:


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

The one item that did look unapologetically retro, the lace-overlayed trench below, would be just as at home in Twiggy's closet circa 1967 as it would in a chic Londoner's closet today. What it lacks in innovation it more than makes up for in sheer charm.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

With all this print, lace, and color, Moralioglu may have felt it necessary to throw in a few LBDs just to hedge his bets. Happily, this didn't result in brainless versions of the printed dresses in black or obviously-an-afterthought looks. Instead, Erdem used a black, wonderfully-textured material for either the skirt or top, and used something smoother for the other half of the frock.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

Simple, but great-looking. Not to mention wearable and yet special. I've always liked Erdem, but after this season I would consider myself a full-fledged fan. I'll be looking forward to their fall offerings.