Designer Erdem Moralioglu Launches a “Casual” Bridal Collection

By Keith Garling - 3/23/20

Erdem Moralioglu

The first bridal collection of British designer Erdem Moralioglu is a ray of light after the bridal market was hit due to the pandemic. The collection is launching on his website and at his best store in Mayfair. The designer can meet the needs of brides who will have a simple outdoor ceremony or a civil service rather than throw a party for 400.

The Simplified Wedding Dress

Erdem Moralioglu's simplified wedding dress
Erdem’s dresses are the kind one can wear again and again, and not only during the ceremony or the reception. They range from minis in cotton Broderie Anglaise to embroidered midi dresses with sheer puffed sleeves. His collection also features an A-line shirtdress topped with an organza cape. His approach is casual, but there is still a formality to it. He aimed for the type of dress that was simple yet beautifully designed and would be suitable to keep and pass on to the bride’s daughter or somebody else.

Influence from the Past Erdem Collections

Victorian gowns from Erdem's spring 2019 show
The shirtdress, for example, is reminiscent of the Victorian gowns of his spring 2019 show. The long-sleeved cotton mini is cut in the same shape as an orchid brocade dress from his fall 2015 collection. The designer also used ideas from the custom wedding gowns he’d made for private clients. Erdem was inspired by additional looks he designed for rehearsal dinners and after-parties too. Before 2020, the dresses in his present collection might’ve been classified as one of those “additional” looks. It’s all different now when they are meant for the main event.

Ready-To-Wear Wedding Dresses

Erdem Moralioglu creates the dresses as ready-to-wear. This means they can be bought off the real or virtual rack throughout the year, and not like traditional wedding dresses that are usually made to order and take longer to complete. A dress that the bride can just zip up without fittings, tailoring, or fuss is a great convenience in the era of general uncertainty and changing restrictions. The main thing, according to the designer, is for the bride to look like the most beautiful version of herself.