When fashion meets opera – British label Erdem inspired by Maria Callas’ legendary Medea
Founded in 2005, London-based Erdem is famous for exquisite fabrics, vivid prints and authentic craftsmanship. Clothes designed by its owner Erdem Moralıoğlu are worn by such Hollywood actresses as Keira Knightley and Emma Stone.
The designer studied at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. His past creations referred to the works of photographers such as Tina Modotti and Cecil Beaton. His recent inspiration has been the life story of Maria Callas and her unique stage incarnation in the title role in “Medea” by Luigi Cherubini. The show premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1953. The Sicilian sculptor Salvatore Fiume designed the sets and costumes. Leonard Bernstein himself conducted on the podium.
According to the press note: Callas did not play the role; she inhabited a persona with such force to the point that the boundary between artist and performance vanished. The pagan resonance of myth and legend trickles down time from Ancient Greece to Modern Europe. Like Medea, Callas was uprooted. Born in America as a Greek national, her talent would consign her to a nomadic and chaotic life. Her voice is described as raw, underpinned by an aching or yearning that lent itself to tragedy.
As Medea, Callas wore a white dress with characteristic thickly painted lines, a pattern replicated on delicate floral fabrics. During the show in London, Moralıoğlu presented three color versions of the pattern on three different outfits.
Callas retired in 1965 and withdrew from public life. She died alone in Paris in 1977. Her ashes were returned to Greece, where they were scattered in the Aegean Sea.