Erdem SS25 at London Fashion Week is a collection which takes its inspiration from Radclyffe Hall’s 1928 novel ‘The Well of Loneliness’. It tells the story of Stephen Gordon, a woman living as a man, and her relationship with Mary Llewellyn.
Erdem SS25 is a collection which explores the push and pull of masculine and feminine dressing and identity. Today ‘The Well of Loneliness’ is lauded as a queer tract of enduring relevance, relatable to new audiences exploring the boundaries of gender, self-expression and love. Hair lead, Adam Garland, brought his stylistic mastery to the show using premium vegan haircare brand, Authentic Beauty Concept to demonstrate the play on masculinity and femininity across the hair for the show.
Masculine/Feminine Identity
“To demonstrate masculinity we kept everything very graphic, constructed and with sharp angles and then incorporated the softness of a braid to express femininity,” explains Adam Garland, Global Creative Advocate for Authentic Beauty Concept “Erdem focused on playing with structure in the clothes, so it was important to reflect that with the hair too. The main look is a strong side-part, creating a graphic, masculine silhouette.
“The hair is strict and tight at the top, which cascades down into a braid adding that feminine touch. We used the Authentic Beauty Concept Working Hairspray, which also has great heat protection and allows me to make adjustments later. Just before the models took off down the runway, we touched up with Pliable Styling Paste. The texture is creamy and soft, adding that final element of sheen.”
