Erdem’s show is always one of the highlights of London Fashion Week, dramatic in setting and mood. This time, he staged it in a former freight yard at King’s Cross station, with the audience sent on a mesmerising journey across the US prairie. Inspired by the hardship stories of 19th-century women trying to eke out solitary livings on midwest homesteads, there was a dark side to the collection, with frayed edges, ripped buttons, black ribbons and fabrics like printed cotton and ticking mixed in with luxurious silk, chiffon and embroidery. The majority of the romantic dresses were long; frilled or ruffled and accessorised with pointed, single-strap flats. This show was a fitting celebration of Erdem’s ten years in the business, a success story recognised by the British Fashion Council, which…
