Erdem: Walking the High Wire
PublishedFor Spring/Summer 2027, creative director and founder of eponymous London-based fashion label Erdem found inspiration in a fascinating performer from 1920s Paris: Barbette. Born Vander Clyde Broadway in Texas, Barbette was...
For Spring/Summer 2027, creative director and founder of eponymous London-based fashion label Erdem found inspiration in a fascinating performer from 1920s Paris: Barbette.
Born Vander Clyde Broadway in Texas, Barbette was a trapeze artist who performed as a glamorous woman, then surprised the audience at the end of the show by removing his wig and revealing a masculine identity. He became a star of the Paris avant-garde and a muse to writer and artist Jean Cocteau, who was fascinated by the way Barbette moved so naturally between masculine and feminine identities.
A century later, this story became the starting point for Erdem’s new collection.
Presented at The Roadhouse in Camden during London Fashion Week, the show mixed elements traditionally associated with women’s and men’s wardrobes. Sparkling bodysuits, lace, feathers and transparent dresses appeared alongside tuxedo jackets, Edwardian-style shirts, oversized coats, parkas and simple grey knitwear.
The contrast was sometimes dramatic: bare legs with a large masculine coat, delicate lingerie under structured tailoring, or a classic cardigan finished with sparkling embroidery.
Barbette’s story also brings another layer to the collection. His performance was about much more than changing clothes. Every night, he created a character and allowed the audience to question what they thought they were seeing.
Cocteau was especially interested in this idea. When Barbette removed his wig, he didn't necessarily reveal one “true” identity. Masculinity could be performed just as femininity could.
That thought still feels surprisingly current.
Through Barbette, Erdem looks at how clothes can change the way we see a person. and perhaps the way a person sees themselves. The collection leaves space between traditional ideas of male and female, showing how easily fashion can move between the two.
Nearly 100 years after Barbette performed above the stages of Paris, his story still asks a very simple question: why should beauty have to fit neatly into one definition?
