Erdem Spring Summer 2023 at London Fashion Week

Erdem Spring Summer 2023 “Grief is the price we pay for love”, This show is dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

For Spring Summer 2023, Erdem has explored the restoration of art. The knowledge, skill and dedication required in restoration is both a visceral and a technical form of creativity. It requires forensic passion; individual pieces might be worked upon by a sole restorer for up to twenty years.

The collection examines the space between care and obsession in the pursuit of preservation.

One can peer so deeply into the imagination of others that the boundaries between restoration and inhabitation become blurred. Is it possible that she has studied her material so closely she has started to become it?

Together with his studio team, Erdem spent time with restoration experts at the British Museum, Tate, the V&A and the National Gallery.

They witnessed an 18th century embroidered dress being revived with a complex tulle under structure. One particularly damaged 15th century oil was being brought back to life based on a 17th century Dutch etching of the painting.

Restoration is not only about repair; it is an immersive act that asks one to see and feel through the eyes of others, too.

Erden would like to thank the following people for allowing me into their fascinating worlds:

Louisa Burden and the conservation team at The British Museum Jacqueline Moon, Charity Fox, Emily Williams and Jordan Megyery at Tate Lara Flecker, Katy Smith, Keira Miller, Louisa Geddes, Nora Brockmann, Lilia Tisdall and Roisin Morris at The Victoria and Albert Museum Larry Keith at The National Gallery.