
Daniel Archer.
For Pre-Spring 2027, Erdem turns its attention to one of the most fascinating figures of interwar avant-garde culture. The collection draws inspiration from Barbette, the Texas-born trapeze artist whose gender-defying aerial performances captivated Parisian music halls throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Born Vander Clyde Broadway, the high-wire star built a sensational career around theatrical illusion, performing elaborate high-flying acrobatics in exquisite women’s costumes before pulling off his wig at the absolute end of the set to reveal his male identity. It was a carefully choreographed act of ambiguity that challenged expectations long before such conversations entered the mainstream.
This fascination with historical performance culture marks a direct continuation of Erdem Moralioğlu’s recent design trajectory, mirroring his Pre-Autumn 2026 collection which leaned into the dramatic, corseted silhouettes and high-society theatricality of the Belle Époque.

Daniel Archer.

Daniel Archer.
A favourite of both Jean Cocteau and Man Ray, Barbette’s shape-shifting world becomes the creative engine for Moralioğlu to explore sharp sartorial contrasts across 39 distinct outfits. Masculine and feminine codes collide throughout the lineup. Structured, oversized grey tailoring inspired by interwar menswear and raw workwear fabrics sit alongside delicate embroidered organza, sheer hand-embroidered tulle and metalled satin.
The designer looks directly to the visual language of circus and stage costumes, filtering fluid flapper-era silhouettes through a colder, backstage lens. The most dramatic developments take the form of sculptural cage constructions: fitted, embroidered bra-tops expand into suspended, transparent lace cage skirts that appear frozen in motion, while another look features a white, moulded top with a padded peplum paired with saucy black lace tap pants. Elsewhere, gowns made from rippling bits of cloqué are finished with flourishes of marabou and crystal to echo the disorientation of an acrobat performing high above an audience.

Daniel Archer.

Daniel Archer.
The house cleverly winks at Barbette’s Texan heritage with a robust, utilitarian denim offering, pairing wide-leg jeans with elegant draped tops. A full stone-coloured double-denim look – anchored by a classic workwear jacket – receives an unmistakably Erdem treatment through sparkling diamanté brooches pinned directly to the collar. Embellishments reflect the glamour of Parisian nightlife without becoming overly delicate: crystals appear fractured, and feathers trail imperfectly from garments to introduce a sense of wear and vulnerability.
Underlying the collection is a theme that deeply fascinated Cocteau himself: the idea that artifice can reveal deeper truths. In doing so, Pre-Spring 2027 becomes a reflection on transformation itself and on the enduring power of fashion as a tool for reinvention.
Discover the collection here.
photography. courtesy of Daniel Archer
words. Gennaro Costanzo























































































