Erdem Moralıoğlu has caught Maria Callas fever and used the centenary of the diva’s birth as inspiration for this collection filled with abstract flower prints, opera coats — naturally — and ’50s silhouettes made modern.
The designer focused on the offstage life of Maria Callas, how she dressed for travel, her frequent visits to London, and island holidays in Greece.
It was a sculptural collection with a strong accent on tailoring, which Moralıoğlu said is his fastest-growing category and makes up the bulk of his bespoke work.
“I loved the idea of creating these very pure, classic shapes, using menswear fabrics, and mixing the masculine with the feminine,” said the designer.
While many of those designs may have been inspired by Callas’ off-duty life, there was still plenty of drama in the form of a slim, sleeveless gown and matching coat covered in 3D pink and red carnations, mimicking the flowers tossed on stage post-performance.
Other abstract flower patterns spread like inkblots across a long coat and dress set made from sturdy check wool and blossomed across loose, nubby knits, circle skirts, and a belted dress with pouf sleeves.
Opera coats, a mainstay of any diva’s wardrobe, played a starring role. The designer put a contemporary spin on the classic silhouette, covering one coat with 3D embroidered carnations; adding a large statement scarf to a gray wool style, and using denim to create another.
Moralıoğlu said he liked the idea of using denim to de-dramatize such a formal shape. One opera-style coat even teetered on the edge of workwear with patch pockets, pointy collar and a hippie-ish faded flower print.
The grandest gestures of this collection were reserved for evening and included a pink cloqué dress with sleeves like giant, sculpted butterfly wings; a gown with a bustier top covered in hand-dyed Roman red rosettes, and a black deep-V jacket with sparkling spray of flowers embroidered across the lapels, marking out the star of the night.
