For Spring/Summer 2027, Erdem Moralıoğlu draws inspiration from Barbette, an American cabaret artist and acrobat who became Jean Cocteau's muse.&nbsp;

For Spring/Summer 2027 in London, Erdem Moralıoğlu looks beyond the figures of British history who often inspire his collections. This season, he crosses the Atlantic to revisit the story of Barbette. Born Vander Clyde Broadway in Texas in 1899, Barbette was an American aerialist and quick-change performer. During the 1920s, Barbette would ascend the trapeze dressed as a woman and return to the stage as a man, using the body to create an illusion in which extraordinary physical skill appeared almost effortless.
Barbette found fame in Paris, becoming a prominent figure of the Roaring Twenties avant-garde and a muse to Jean Cocteau. In his 1926 essay Le Numéro Barbette, Cocteau described a performer who moved so convincingly between femininity and masculinity that neither appeared to represent a fixed identity. Even when Barbette removed the wig during the final bow, the man revealed beneath it was no more “real” than the woman who had commanded the stage. Masculinity, too, became a role.&nbsp;

A century later, Barbette’s fluid approach to gender still feels modern. Erdem uses that ambiguity as the foundation of a collection in which masculine and feminine forms interact, clash, and transform. The silhouette becomes a space for experimentation: sharply tailored jackets meet full, flowing skirts, while the designer’s signature romanticism takes on a more theatrical edge.
Presented at the Roundhouse in Camden during London Fashion Week, the collection finds a fitting setting for Barbette’s flair for spectacle. References to Man Ray, Cocteau’s writing, and interwar cabaret shape its cinematic vision, brought to life on the runway by models including Karen Elson and Saskia de Brauw.&nbsp;

Feathers move with every step, while sequins and crystals bring shine and further texture. Flowing dresses with vintage-inspired silhouettes appear alongside gowns covered in cascading ostrich feathers and structured mini-dresses embellished with crystals. Sharp tailoring and menswear-inspired pieces balance the more theatrical looks, blending the precision of traditional costume with the glamour of a showgirl’s wardrobe.
The collection also marks Erdem’s 20th anniversary, giving the designer an opportunity to revisit the romantic details and historical references that have defined his work. Through Barbette’s story, he explores the space between masculine and feminine dressing, dramatic embellishments, and fluid silhouettes.

Erdem Spring/Summer 2027. Courtesy of Erdem.

Erdem Celebrates 20 Years With a Theatrical Spring/Summer 2027 Collection

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Erdem Celebrates 20 Years With a Theatrical Spring/Summer 2027 Collection

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