Merging vintage with structural silhouettes is no mean feat.
But that's just what Canadian-born designer Erdem Moralioglu intended to do with his Autumn/Winter 2012 collection.
Erdem has become a staple on the London style circuit, dressing red-carpet celebs including Michelle Williams, Florence Welch, Keira Knightley and even Kate Middleton - all fashion lovers in their own right - in the prettiest of dresses dotted with flowers and trimmed with lace.
But with his latest showing, he proved that he can reinvent ladylike clothing season after season without it becoming matronly.
"While last season I was thinking of a girl, this season she's a woman," the designer said backstage after his show. He was referring to the pale blue, buttercup and white collection he produced for spring; his muse, a spirited girl on the Riviera.
For autumn, the look was much more sculptural, bringing to life Erdem's penchant for print. Trompe l'oeil prints added new dimensions while layer upon layer of applique blossoms gave new depth to the collection.
The silhouette was ultra-feminine - cinched waists, fitted pencil skirts - but also more carved to the body. Sweet sweater sets were paired with clashing printed skirts, and dresses redefined the female figure in a palette of royal blue, deep violet, magenta and marigold yellow.
The beauty regime was kept clean and simple to emphasise the collection. MAC applied a stroke of liner across the eye socket and a flick at the corner of each eye - far from retro, but more like an optical illusion - while the lips were dabbed with clear balm.
As for the hair, we caught Charles Worthington backstage watching over the low ponytails tied at the nape of the neck with a girly bowtie, the ribbon picked out by Erdem himself.
And while his range has expanded this season, Erdem's appeal remains unchanged - his fashion faithful will surely be pleased.
Watch our interview with Erdem and Christopher Bailey of Burberry below.
By Dana Karlson
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