It Was All About Androgynous Beauty On Erdem’s Spring Runway

Erdem Moralioglu reflected on gender identity, love, and purpose for his spring/summer 2025 collection. Drawing inspiration from the 1928 novel The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, the designer paid homage to its multi-faceted characters—and Hall’s own journey towards living her truth as a lesbian.

Hairstylist Adam Garland mapped out the look, mirroring Erdem’s vision. “The main look is a strong side-part, creating a graphic, masculine silhouette,” he told Vogue backstage. “The hair is strict and tight at the top, which cascades down into a braid which adds that feminine touch. We used the Authentic Beauty Concept Working Hairspray, which also has great heat protection and allows me to make adjustments later. For the models with shorter hair, we used the Cosmic Blowdry Jelly, which will be released in February. It leaves the hair movable until it’s set and doesn’t give us any flaky residue. Just before the models took off down the runway, we touched up the hair with a styling paste. The texture is creamy and soft, adding that final element of sheen. Erdem focused on playing with structure in the clothes, so it was important to reflect that with the hair too,” Garland explained. Longer afro-textured hair was cornrowed with extensions, creating a sleek pattern close to the scalp.

The makeup also leaned into the genderless theme. “The look consists of clean, boyish skin with masculine features, such as brushed-up brows, with a little bit of darkness under the eyes,” said makeup artist Amy Conway. “We wanted the skin to look luminescent, so we started with Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base, which is really brightening. Next, we went in with the Weightless Skin Foundation SPF 15, which is our brand new formula and provides a natural, buildable coverage. Lastly, we added both the Sheer Finish Pressed Powder to give us a soft matte, boyish look, and then finished with extra lip tint, which is akin to a stain for the lip.”

The goal was to let the “beautiful ‘imperfections’ show through”, said Conway. “Some models had hyperpigmentation, for example, and we wanted to draw out these beautiful real, human qualities. It was a very unique process and we wanted to ensure that each model felt and looked like the best version of themselves.”

This article was originally published on Vogue.com