Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Erdem.

Mon. 02/23/2015.






More interesting a matter than a Designer having a Sprawling, Gothic Narrative and Backstory to attach to His/Her collection, Is how Fanatically some Fashion Writers will look for Nuance and Impart in every little thing as to spin a Yarn about a collection so that they can relish in the sound of their own voice and Self-Satisfyingly diddle themselves with their Cleverness and Astuteness. Reading Some reviews by a couple of Writers who Rhapsodically Over Indulge in the Masturbatory Delectation of their written words (The EVER Prosaic Tim Blanks and Sarah Mower) the desire to actually seek out deeper meaning in a Designer's collection is THOROUGHLY Squelched by their Puerile and Vapid Preening and Incessant need to be "The Most Verbally Adroit Kid in Class!" Well, they win that Medal! 

In both reviews that I waded through by Blanks and Mower, I was only mildly taken aback at how both Manifested this Autobiography of Erdem Moralioglu's Phantom Woman that he concocted for his Fall 2015 show, out of the Ether! As for the Designer himself,  Moralioglu's Invisible muse took shape after visiting a Art installation in Oct. 2014 at the Frieze Masters Art Fair put on by Robin Brown for the Helly Nahmad Gallery called "The Collector" which in essence was an elaborately detailed "Mise en Scene" of an empty apartment fully appointed with all manner of Accoutrement and Objets that belonged to a Non-Existent Parisian Art Collector, one would have to guess, to Moralioglu's Fertile mind, all that was missing were the Clothes.

So, He designed them! With Brown's help Moralioglu designed a Set to Mimic a Fragment, a Segment of the Installation, and in it's way, became more Provocative and, Slightly Sinister, for it. There was a Claustrophobia surrounding this Intimate set that was hard to escape and it added a layer of the Unhinged to things, as if one was trapped in some tiny box of an almost Stephen King imagining where the "Visual Memories" of Moralioglu's Heroine strode forth from the dark to Bedevil (perhaps even, Torment) our intrepid Heroine.

Moralioglu's collection was, Per his Press for the show, A woman from an Affluent past who lives in a world of Faded Glamour where she is surrounded by the Vestiges of said past and has in her own way brought together the elements of the halcyon days with a modern touch for a slightly Offbeat Amalgam of Past, Present and Future. The clothes did an Excellent job of communicating this without all of the Enraptured mental Gymnastics that some put into the show. The collection was Yes,  Quite Beautiful and Emotionally Stirring. Yet, It wasn't exactly one of Moralioglu's Most intriguing. It had a Celia Birtwell-meets-Alberta Ferretti vibe going for it that made it seem a little.. Derivative and while producing some Impactful "WOW" Pieces, it erred a little too much on the Overly Studied. Not to go all Tim Blanks, But one would have imagined the Woman being envisaged by Moralioglu to be a Trifle more Spontaneous and Courageous in her Fashion, This, Felt Safe. Eccentric... Well... perhaps, But Still, Safe.

A Black coat with a Needle Punched Vivid Shocking Pink Brocade hem was of the most Exquisite Caliber, as was a Cutwork Leather outfit in Black on Leila Nda. Aside from that... Status Quo. This isn't to take away any of the beauty of the work seen here, but only to inform that Moralioglu has done collections where he has reached farther outside his Safe Zone and done more Rewarding pieces. On the Whole, It may have been the Intricate Narrative which detracted Moralioglu's attention away from giving a more Exciting Roundup. The Story seemed somewhat more Compelling than the clothes, The risks in the collection were negligible and Although Exquisite in places, Ultimately, The Story was the best part of the Show!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

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