Fashion Fringe roadshow ends with Erdem

On Tuesday night the successful inaugural Fashion Fringe roadshow came to a close with Erdem in conversation with Colin McDowell at the Royal College of Art. At the final event, Erdem who described the experience as “nerve-wrecking”

offered insight into his upbringing in Canada, his time at the RCA, working for Diane von Furstenberg in New York, his pride at being part of Fashion Fringe, and heavily promoted British manufacturing.

There was also time at the end of the hour-long talk for the audience to ask questions, with one fan asking whether the designer would be launching a high street collection - "It's never been the right moment," said Erdem.

"If it works for some people, then that's wonderful - but it depends on where you're at. For me, it's really important to concentrate on your collection and your own work. Once you start looking at versions of your work, it can get a bit dangerous. One can do it really well and in an interesting way though."

Known as one of London’s most talented designers, he has built up an impressive celebrity fan base from Michelle Obama to Michelle Williams due to his flattering, feminine, printed dresses, "I'm really lucky that women of all ages wear my clothes,” added Erdem.

After leaving the Royal College of Art, the London-based designer took a “paid gig” as a “design, design, design assistant to Diana von Furstenberg”, he only stayed a year before realising that “even though I adored New York, I had no intentions on staying - it was there that I realised that I had to start my own label.”

On returning to London to launch his own label he was encouraged to enter Fashion Fringe and in September 2005 he went onto win, he recounted that one of his proudest moments was his first solo show the year after winning Fashion Fringe, “The show at the V&A was crazy as the catwalk started in the gift shop, and hair and make-up was by the Chinese vases. But I was standing on my own two feet for the first time.”

The designer also championed British manufacturing telling future fashion designers in the audience that nearly all of Erdem’s collections are produced here in Britain or Europe, and that he totally recommends using local as “it is the easiest way to keep control, as well as be part of the process”.

The series, which was launched to coincide with the call for entries for this year’s Fashion Fringe award, has brought designers Christopher Kane, Matthew Williamson, Giles Deacon, Gareth Pugh, and Julien Macdonald to universities across the country.