For Erdem Spring 2027, Erdem Moralıoğlu turned to Barbette, the Texas-born aerialist and gender-bending performer who became a sensation in 1920s Paris. Born Vander Clyde Broadway in 1899, Barbette performed on the trapeze as a woman before revealing a masculine persona at the end of the act. His ability to move between identities fascinated the Parisian avant-garde and, in particular, Jean Cocteau, who wrote about him in 1926.
That idea of transformation became the collection’s central language. Presented in London at the Roundhouse in Camden, the show explored the tension between masculine structure and feminine ornament through tailoring, lingerie, feathers, crystals and fragmented silhouettes.
The opening looks established a sharp foundation: tuxedo jackets, Prince of Wales checks, grain de poudre and crisp white shirting. But conventional tailoring was quickly disrupted. Crystal bras, satin micro shorts, exposed skin and exaggerated proportions challenged the rigidity of those familiar forms. Jackets were cropped, coats shaped into hourglass frames and traditional pieces reconstructed into something less fixed.
One of the strongest visual motifs came through crystal-embellishe...