Erdem's New Bridal Collection Is For The Bride After Something Different—With Tradition In Mind

There are certain fashion moments brides-to-be have long awaited—and this is one of them. Erdem Moralıoğlu, who has proven his prowess in all things poetic and romantic via his ready-to-wear collections, announced the launch of a see-now, buy-now bridal range sold year-round online at erdem.com and in the brand's flagship store in London's Mayfair.

Fashion brides have been awaiting the designer's foray into bridal particularly after he was rumored to be designing the Duchess of Sussex's wedding gown. After years of designing bespoke bridal solely for private clients, he used the pandemic's downtime to consider how he could reach as many brides-to-be as possible.

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"The White Collection was created in response to a need for something a little alternative to a wedding dress in the traditional sense," Moralıoğlu said via the collection's show notes. "I was really interested in creating a bridal collection that has a modern and new feel." That fresh take on wedding dressing is apropos (and was perhaps inspired by) the modern bride's need for gowns for smaller civil ceremonies in the wake of COVID's delays on large gatherings.

Brides have long turned to Erdem for romantic, dreamy, and, at times, Victorian-inspired takes on dressing for events surrounding the wedding and for the aisle. With this capsule collection of gowns, dresses, and accessories, Erdem is committing to a consistent compilation of silhouettes that work for today's bride—and it seems likely that the collection will evolve as she and her needs do.

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When it came to homing in on the silhouettes he'd showcase in the collection's launch, Moralıoğlu began with what he felt today's bride was looking for—and with the intent to highlight hand-craftsmanship. "I started by looking at my archive, for me it was about creating shapes that were light and special, using Swiss embroidery mixed in with crystal embellishment, it was important to me that the collection had a very human hand," he said. The collection is currently composed of seven looks, some of which are short in length and effortless in feel, ideal for civil ceremonies outdoors.

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The most dramatic gown in the collection, the Alphonse, is hand-embroidered with crystals on lace and features a drop-waist, a high-neckline, and cap sleeves. The gown is a small window into how Erdem will differentiate its bridal range from the offerings in the current bridal market, focusing on silhouettes and techniques unique to the brand rather than offering another version of a standard bridal silhouette.

With the White Collection, fans of Erdem can also score a small piece of the label for the aisle without opting to wear a full look. The range features headpieces, earrings, and belts brides can purchase for accessorizing rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and after-party ensembles, and potentially wear past the big day. Per the collection notes, Erdem will also continue to offer its long-standing service of creating bespoke bridal to clients via its London atelier.

This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.