Erdem’s FW19 collection took the stage during London Fashion Week, showcasing eveningwear from cocktail dresses to frocks with details including capes, voluminous bows, and veils. The show fittingly took place at the National Portrait Gallery, where a collection of art from the late 20^th century reflects the period of Princess Pamphilj’s signature chic, which makes its appearance in the collection as twinset knits.

Princess Orietta Pogson Doria Pamphilj, head of one of Italy’s greatest noble families, was determined to make use of her inheritance for the benefit of the public in Rome and Genoa. Moralioglu was inspired by Pamphilg’s life experiences, and fascinated by how she dealt with the past to move forward into the future. Specific influences were seen in the brocades and Erdem’s characteristic florals reflective of the décor found in the 1,000-room palazzo that Pamphilj lived in.

During her wedding, the princess wore a wedding dress covered in black roses to pay respects to her father who was deceased at the time. This and the previous devastation that surrounded Pamphilj’s life when her father was arrested for resisting Mussolini’s fascism shrouds Erdem’s FW19 collection in a layer of dark elegance intertwined with a playful flair of Italian religious elements.