Erdem’s Red Carpet Streak Is Breaking All the Rules—Here’s the Game-Changer You Didn’t See Coming

Ever wonder what happens when a designer decides to tango with the fluid boundaries of masculinity and femininity? At London Fashion Week this past September, Erdem Moralıoğlu didn’t just ask that question — he answered it with a style symphony featuring crystal embellishments clashing with tuxedo trims, and classic shirting peek-a-booing with unexpected flashes of skin. And let me tell you, this Spring 2027 collection isn’t your run-of-the-mill runway showing. It grabbed the spotlight so fiercely that within less than two months, a dazzling parade of stars—from Kim Kardashian to Troye Sivan—were spotted wearing Erdem’s striking pieces, each interpreting gender and style their own way. Moralıoğlu’s inspiration? Barbette, the legendary Texas-born trapeze artist who blurred gender lines long before it was “trendy,” crafting a narrative where clothing becomes a dialogue between masculine and feminine energies. This collection isn’t a radical swerve but rather a masterful, looser spin on two decades of decadence, perfectly syncing with today’s multifaceted desire for clothes that marry utility with flourish. Intrigued? Spoiler alert: there’s so much more beneath the surface about this sensational brand’s evolution and what’s capturing the red carpet’s heart. LEARN MORE

6 min read

At London Fashion Week this September, Erdem debuted a Spring 2027 collection that was instantly celebrated for its very on-brand tug-of-war between masculinity and femininity. Individual ensembles clashed crystal embellishment, tuxedo details, classic shirting, and unexpected flashes of skin. Critics praised it—and celebrity stylists began calling pieces in almost immediately.

Erdem has long had a slew of celebrity friends, supporters, and customers, but something about the reception this season feels different. In less than two months, runway looks have been worn by Kim Kardashian, Rosalía (twice), Cynthia Erivo, Sienna Miller, Troye Sivan, Honey Dijon, Cara Delevingne, Chappell Roan, Inde Navarette, Rosé, Keira Knightley, and Sarah Paulson. An unlikely collective perhaps, but each individual puts forth their own glorious interpretation of style and gender expression.

Erdem Moralıoğlu began this collection with the story of Barbette, the Texas-born trapeze artist whose performances, done in full drag, rose to prominence in Paris in the 1920s and ’30s. The clothes explore this sort of complex, androgynous dialogue between masculinity and femininity. The idea is perhaps best epitomized in a dress (worn by Knightley) that begins as a menswear-inspired gray knit before fading into a crystal-embellished sheer tulle skirt—and styled in the very Erdem manner with socks and black brogues. Or take Sivan’s ensemble: a black tuxedo jacket with satin and tulle draped over an ostrich feather pannier at the hip. Even the most markedly girlish looks, like Rosalía’s ’20s-inspired dress in blush pink silk, come with a certain restraint.

Moralıoğlu celebrated 20 years of Erdem this year and has built a ready-to-wear brand that is both distinctly recognizable and still able to evolve each season. Spring 2027 was not a radical departure for the designer, merely a looser approach to his typical decadence. (After all, Moralıoğlu has always paired his colorful jacquard dresses with simple black brogues.) It seems like a literal snapshot of consumers and their desires: clothes that combine elements of femininity and masculinity, utility and flourish. And it proves that two decades in, Moralıoğlu can continue to woo new audiences.

Ahead, we spoke with Moralıoğlu to gauge his reaction to all of this attention and reflect on what’s resonating most.

If you had to describe your Spring 2027 collection in a few lines, how would you distill it down?

Well, the muse, as you know, was someone named “Barbette,” or Vander Clyde Broadway, who was originally from Austin, Texas, and then came to Paris and became this extraordinary muse and then kind of disappeared into obscurity. I love the idea of this idea of someone becoming something and that idea of self-actualization. But also, more importantly, Cocteau wrote a very interesting essay on Barbette and commissioned Man Ray to do this beautiful photo essay on him, as well. It was really about this idea of how relative masculinity and femininity is and about androgyny. So if I had to summarize it into one thing, there’s a feeling of androgyny and flitting between masculine and feminine.

There’s such a literal appeal to “the multifaceted woman,” a phrase I don’t love, but we all have both of those things to different degrees.

Yes, and I think what’s interesting about Barbette as a character was that it was equally as feminine as it was masculine. In a way, they weren’t trying to emulate becoming a woman, but they also weren’t emulating a man. It’s almost like the third sex, which is, I think, very interesting.

What have the conversations been like internally about how much this collection has kind of taken off on the red carpet? Have you noticed anything specific about them?

I definitely have noticed it, and it’s definitely been noticed in the studio. All of us are like, “Wow, another one! It really seems to be happening.” But it’s such a privilege to dress so many different people from so many different backgrounds and extraordinary, amazing, brilliant, talented people. I mean, it’s wonderful. It’s thrilling. I love it.

Have there been any standouts?

I mean, I can’t pick just one. But I thought it was so interesting to see Troye in that piece, to see how that all worked and how it evolved. Interestingly enough, I had originally created trousers for that look, but didn’t use them for the show. So then the trousers came back out for that carpet. Otherwise, Troye was so loyal to how it was shown on the runway, even with the shirt styled exactly the same.

Through both the evolution of your own brand and the evolution of the industry, how do you feel about the red carpet now as opposed to when you founded your brand 20 years ago?

I still feel the same way. I think it’s a privilege to be in a position where you dress extraordinarily talented people. That’s a wonderful extension of your world that then becomes something else. It’s really interesting to see the collection take on another life. Otherwise, it just exists in the bubble of a show or an editorial.

You design clothes that people really buy and wear. Do you feel pressure to think about a red carpet extension when you’re designing?

The honest answer would be no, I don’t think about it at all. I think about the collection and the character—her or them or whoever that person is. But when the show’s coming together, you also really think about movement, how it’s fitted, how something really moves on the body. And I wonder if that’s something that’s interesting in the context of it being outside of a runway show. I find Rosalia walking down the street in New York so fascinating. They’re clothes that move and I really like that.

In this phase of creative director musical chairs, you provide such a great snapshot of a strong brand. You’re 20 years in and Erdem is so recognizable. You can see your clothes and know they were designed by you. But then you manage to make the next collection feel new. Do you think about evolution?

Well, I just left the other room where we’re working on the next one. But I like that psychology of turning the page. I find that really interesting. I love the idea of the blank, white page. I find it really exciting. But honest answer, no. [I don’t think about evolution]. Maybe what happens is that in time, you become a little bit looser. With that last show, there was something about that kind of world of Barbette. It was easy for us in the studio to really feel it, feel that masculine and feminine energy and to be very loose with it.

Do you like to have a character in mind when you’re doing a new season?

I usually tend to have a character. I always find it’s like making a movie every six months. It’s almost like a new script. I think it helps to take everyone collectively somewhere else. So you have to adjust together, but you have to have something to take everyone there with you.

Speaking of characters, if there was anyone you could dress, who would it be?

Too difficult to say. In the context of these extraordinary women…Cynthia, I just think is amazing. Or Inde. And then Rosalía, Chappell, I’m like…

I’d even open it up to literary and film characters. Alive or dead.

Let’s think. Dietrich. [Marlene] Dietrich would be a good one. I love her.

Another great example of someone with such strong masculine and feminine energy in the way she dresses. I feel like it just says something so literal about how people really want clothes that aren’t just masculine or feminine. It almost seems like duh…but you’ve given me such a nice snapshot to analyze.

Well, I think there’s something interesting about this idea of how you have a starting point and then you can end up somewhere else. How do you take the idea of something, and make it modern. How are you looking at something and finding its spirit? When you think about all of these questions of gender and expression, it’s something that’s always existed culturally. That’s also a really beautiful thing.

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