ERDEM x H&M: 'The Secret Life of A Flower'

The ERDEM X H&M Collection

An unexpected partnership has been forged between fashion house Erdem and high-street brand H&M, brimmed full with contradictions this collection has caught international attention...

Moralioglu outlined that the concept behind the collection was to create the 'opposite of fast fashion' by creating timeless pieces that you 'want and desire' merely because they are 'beautiful' instead of being product of momentary trends. Erdem envisions his intensely maximalist pieces holding their own relevance for years to come as classic staples. This anti-fast fashion agenda conflicts with Erdem's collaborator H&M, one of the most popular high-street brands in the world; illustrating Erdem's love for juxtapositioning. I admire the sentiment being tied to the garments, pushing for the upheaval of quick mass-production and endorsing the organic sense of 'want' people feel when seeing something beautiful.

My favourite aspect of the collection is the inter-changeability between the mens and womenswear. Encouraging a sense of gender non-conformity, the genderless ethos permeates many of the 'ready-to-buy' products. Male models were photographed sporting the womenswear bags, and women wearing the male blouses. The collection has removed gender restrictions completely allowing consumers to make the most out of the whole collection, as opposed to half. This 'inclusiveness' is great however, I feel it is not an example of 'fresh-thinking' anymore from a retail perspective as multiple brands have adopted the 'genderless garment'.

Erdem and H&M have successfully made a seeminly untouchable industry accessible to the high-street consumer in a way that is digestible, but in no way toned down.

#Erdem #HM #SS18 #collection #antifastfashion