Creative Mind: Erdem Moralioğlu
The London designer builds his runway collections around fascinating yet often unheralded female figures
For the past two decades, London designer Erdem Moralioğlu has been obsessed with quiet narratives, history, and the female form. He builds his runway collections around fascinating yet often unheralded female figures, such as late 19th-century French psychic Hélène Smith, pioneering Victorian botanist Marianne North, and 1930s Broadway dancer Adele Astaire.
“I always start in the library—that’s where the spark usually lives,” says the designer, known for his romantic creations embellished with opulent textures and patterns. In February, his namesake label marked its 20th anniversary at the British Museum in London with a buzzworthy collection centered on fragments of memory. “I love the thought of all my muses finding themselves in the same room and meeting for the first time.”
Artful expression: “When I’m inspired by a piece of art, I’m never trying to replicate it. It’s more about distilling the atmosphere, the light, the tension, and letting those qualities unfold through texture, color, and the way a garment moves on the body,” says Moralıoğlu, who has collected an impressive trove of artworks with his husband, architect Philip Joseph. Recently, the designer opened a second boutique, on Sloane Street in London, and adorned the space with pieces by such artists as Tracey Emin and Nan Goldin. “Art has always been part of my vocabulary.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Spring Issue in the section “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.