Erdem Moralioğlu
Encyclopedia
Erdem Moralioğlu, more commonly known as Erdem (born 1977 in Montreal
, Canada
) is a Canadian-British
-Turkish
fashion designer.
, Canada
to a Turkish
father and an English
mother and grew up between Montreal
and Birmingham
. He earned a B.A. in fashion from Ryerson University
in Toronto
and then worked as an intern for Vivienne Westwood
. Moralioğlu moved to London
in 2000 to study fashion at the Royal College of Art
. Upon receiving his master's degree in 2003, he proceeded to go onto closing the 2003 RCA show with his graduate collection He then moved to New York
where he worked alongside Diane von Furstenberg
before relocating back to London to launch his own label in 2005. His imaginative debut collection won him the £100,000 Fashion Fringe prize and he has staged four London Fashion Week
shows as well as being awarded with the Swarovski
British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award in 2007. His label "Erdem" is now sold globally in more than 50 premiere department and specialty stores including Barney
's throughout the United States
and Selfridges
, Harvey Nichols
and Liberty & Co. in the United Kingdom
. In 2010, Moralioğlu was awarded the inaugural British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund which included a £200,000 prize which is the biggest sum ever awarded to a fashion designer in the United Kingdom.
He was also nominated by the British Fashion Council
for "Designer of the Year 2009" and was named one of the 1000 most influential people in London by the Evening Standard
.
, east London
. Moralioğlu has a twin sister, Sara, who makes TV documentaries about geography and natural history.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) is a Canadian-British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
fashion designer.
Biography
Moralioğlu was born in in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
father and an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mother and grew up between Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He earned a B.A. in fashion from Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and then worked as an intern for Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
. Moralioğlu moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2000 to study fashion at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
. Upon receiving his master's degree in 2003, he proceeded to go onto closing the 2003 RCA show with his graduate collection He then moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he worked alongside Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
before relocating back to London to launch his own label in 2005. His imaginative debut collection won him the £100,000 Fashion Fringe prize and he has staged four London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
shows as well as being awarded with the Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award in 2007. His label "Erdem" is now sold globally in more than 50 premiere department and specialty stores including Barney
Barneys New York
Barneys New York is a chain of luxury department stores headquartered in New York City. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.Brands sold include...
's throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Selfridges
Selfridges
Selfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
, Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
and Liberty & Co. in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 2010, Moralioğlu was awarded the inaugural British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund which included a £200,000 prize which is the biggest sum ever awarded to a fashion designer in the United Kingdom.
Awards
Moralioğlu has received numerous prestigious awards including:- 2005: Fashion Fringe Award
- 2007: The Swarovski British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award
- 2008: The BFC's Fashion Forward Award
- 2009: Fashion Future Award
- 2010: BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
He was also nominated by the British Fashion Council
British Fashion Council
The British Fashion Council is a non-profit trade group for British fashion designers founded in 1983.Based in London and currently chaired by Harold Tillman, who took over from friend Sir Stuart Rose, its main goal is to promote British fashion design across the world.-Main activities:The main...
for "Designer of the Year 2009" and was named one of the 1000 most influential people in London by the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
.
Personal life
He currently lives and operates a studio in Bethnal GreenBethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
, east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Moralioğlu has a twin sister, Sara, who makes TV documentaries about geography and natural history.