The Best of British
Erdem showcases his mesmerizing Autumn Winter 2025 Collection at the British Museum during London Fashion Week 2025 ~ the result of a long-term collaboration with director Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE and a personal connection with, and reverence for, artist Kaye Donachie.
BY SOPHIE GOODWIN | HAPPENINGS | 25 FEBRUARY 2025

Erdem at the British Museum, London Fashion Week 2025 © Clelia Montali
Erdem Moralıoğlu OBE, a man to muddle the past and present with skill, relevance and beauty, has debuted his Autumn Winter 2025 Collection during London Fashion Week: a striking collaboration with a living artist, revealed at the British Museum.
When Erdem commissioned British painter Kaye Donachie - once his contemporary at London's Royal College of Art - to capture his late mother’s portrait, he was transfixed by her method of creatively juxtaposing rich nostalgia with modern life. Donachie's evocative, figurative portraits are not true-to-life depictions, but romantic abstractions and moods.
All Images © Clelia Montali
Donachie's beautiful, muted paintings, which she describes as, "auras exploring the thin veil between reality and imagination", inspired Erdem to adopt a more spiritual, romantic feel for his Autumn Winter 2025 collection.
The looks feature many of Erdem’s hallmarks: bodices, corsets, 3D flowers, circular full coats, bubble skirts and hour glass cocktail dresses; but there is a new sensibility, courtesy of Donachie. Artwork is printed and hand-painted onto fabric (by Donachie herself), and she even turned her hand to the sellout house ‘Bloom’ bag. Satin, organza and tweed play together, offset by hand-shredded and hand-frayed fabrics.
There are few backdrops more atmospheric and impressive than The British Museum. Erdem plays on the institution's charm and history, which feels as much a part of the collection's story as the clothes themselves.
Guests leave the British Museum © Clelia Montali.
It is no coincidence that Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum, is a great friend and loyal supporter of Erdem. "While many designers hold fashion shows in museums, I can think of very few who draw such constant and deep inspiration from them as Erdem," Cullinan told Cabana.
Erdem's new collection continues a collaboration the pair forged in 2018, while Cullinan was director of London's National Portrait Gallery. This season’s collection moved from muses past (including Adele Astaire, Cecil Beaton, Maria Callas, Princess Orietta Doria Pamphilj, Deborah Devonshire, Emma Hamilton and Edith Sitwell) to Kaye Donachie, an artist very much living and creating in the present.
This triumphant shift from archive to artist’s studio sparked a riot of colors, textures and silhouettes, truly reflecting the best of British fashion, art and design.
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