"People think floral is my trademark—even though some of my shows didn't have a flower in sight," Erdem Moralioglu said at a presentation of his first-ever pre-fall collection in London. To prove his point, out came a dress in a "firecracker" print inspired by English skies on Guy Fawkes Day (the U.K.'s answer to the Fourth of July), and, even more notably, a tailored jacket. The emphasis was on functionality. In addition to the pretty knee-length frocks Michelle Obama, among others, knows and loves him for, there were palazzo pants, an A-line mini, to-the-floor skirts, a motorcycle jacket, and easy, sleeveless shells in the mix.
But he didn't neglect the red carpet. Case in point: a draped, crepe silk maxi dress with lace details and a trompe l'oeil effect at the nape that gave the illusion that it was partially unzipped—a fitting choice, potentially, for Carey Mulligan, who wore Erdem to the Dubai Film Festival the previous night. "I feel we have transitioned from girl to woman in this collection," Moralioglu said. With that very grown-up shot of sexiness, we tend to agree.
