Few designers in today’s fashion landscape can evoke emotion through garments quite like Erdem Moralıoğlu. In his latest collaboration with contemporary artist Kaye Donachie, Erdem doesn’t just present a seasonal collection—he tells a deeply personal story through the lens of art and couture. What makes this collection especially moving is its muse: Erdem’s late mother. Her memory is stitched—quite literally—into the very first look that graced the runway. A portrait of her, reimagined through fabric, appeared on a breathtaking dress where various shades of textile appliqué formed a hauntingly beautiful tribute. It set the tone for a collection that feels less like fashion and more like a poetic installation.
The craftsmanship in this collaboration is nothing short of astonishing. Layers of organza—each hand-dyed in subtle gradients—mirror the tonal fluidity of Donachie’s ethereal portraits. These soft transitions of color, delicately floating over the body, reflect not only exceptional technique but an almost meditative respect for the materials. Erdem has always had a sensitivity to femininity, but here it is elevated to new emotional heights.
Donachie’s influence appears not only in theme but in texture and technique. Her gestural brushstrokes and scribbled florals were transformed into rich three-dimensional embroideries. Imagine wool-stitched flowers blooming unexpectedly across leather, bringing the raw, emotional energy of Donachie’s art into the tactile world of fashion. Some garments even felt like living canvases, with painterly florals brushed directly onto skirts, tops, and flowing dresses. The strokes were deliberate, graceful, and haunting—capturing a moment mid-creation, as if the artist had just ste
What’s even more remarkable is that Donachie herself took brush to accessory, hand-painting abstract floral vignettes onto leather handbags. These weren’t just bags—they were functional art pieces, destined to be cherished far beyond the runway season. Each look in the collection felt like a standalone masterpiece, blurring the boundaries between fashion, fine art, and personal narrative.
This collection reminds us that fashion at its best is more than trends or tailoring—it is emotion in motion.
