Erdem Is H&M's Next Collaboration Designer

Erdem is joining the H&M ranks of designer collaborations this year, the Swedish high-street retailer revealed this afternoon. Following in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, Marni, Maison Margiela, Versace, Isabel Marant, Lanvin (among others) and, most recently, Kenzo, its eponymous designer, Erdem Moralioglu, will unveil his collection this autumn.

While only a whisper of what we can expect has been released by H&M today, we do know that a part of the collaboration will include a menswear edit - the first time that Moralioglu has designed for men; that it will land November 2; and that it will "reinterpret the design themes from some of his most celebrated collections, playing with the prints, textiles and delicate craftsmanship that have made his name".

“I am so happy to collaborate with H&M, and to explore my work on a whole new scale including a menswear collection which I have never done before," said Moralioglu today. To mark the collaboration, the designer collaborated with filmmaker Baz Luhrmann to bring the collection to life. "It’s also such a thrill to work with Baz Luhrmann, one of the most important storytellers of our time," he added.

“For me fashion is always about more than just clothing, it is a form of expression - a standalone art form," said Luhrmann. "I am excited to be collaborating with Erdem and H&M to reveal the story of this unique collection."

While we wait to see actual items, shoppers can look to the many high-profile appearances of Erdem devotees - including Keira Knightley, Alexa Chung and Claire Foy - to speculate. But while famous for his red-carpet gowns, the designer does a mean day suit, designs very covetable accessories, and offers a sophisticated take on separates that point to this collaboration being a wardrobe-comprehensive affair.

As so many designers who have worked with H&M before him have expressed, collaborating with the retailer affords fans of the label the opportunity to own a piece from their favourite fashion house at a fraction of the cost. Last year's collaboration with Kenzo saw accessories start at £7 and ready-to-wear at £25 - practically half of the normal retail price of its mainline. Good news for fans of London-based Moralioglu, whose dresses normally start around the £495 mark and scale upwards to nearly £4,000.

For H&M, its collaborations not only confirm its fashion clout, but provide a lucrative financial injection halfway through each year. Previous collaborations have seen queues in cities around the world start the night before the edit went on sale (accommodated only by mild autumn climes), while customers hoping to make money of their own regularly resell their sold-out stash on e-commerce forums such as eBay for sometimes double the price they paid.

As for the sartorial direction this edit may take, we can look back to Erdem's most recent resort 2018 collection and his catwalk outing for autumn/winter 2017 at London Fashion Week in February, an autobiographical affair that fused Moralioglu's Turkish and British heritage and featured his signature governess-style dresses, standout coats, and lashings of velvet.

Or we can look at his roll call of red-carpet hits, worn by actresses and celebrities that are as compelled to wear Erdem for their moment in the spotlight as we will be to join those queues come November.