The proposal might seem incongruous at first. Erdem Moralioglu, founder of the eponymous label, one of the jewels in the crown of London Fashion Week and maker of the some of the most sweepingly feminine, floral-dappled gowns in existence, has turned his bespectacled eyes towards a man’s wardrobe.

Bar a brief dabble in menswear via his sellout H&M collection in 2017, Moralioglu’s world is one of artistic influences combined with delicate, ruffle-and-rose-infused romanticism, beloved by the Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Keira Knightley. So how does that parlay into men’s clothing?

“I’ve always thought there was space for the Erdem man in our world, but I see him as a brother or friend to our woman, not a lover or husband,” says Erdem via a Zoom catch up. The idea of this platonic partner was formed while watching the young men who work in his design studio adapt his women’s clothing to men’s. “There was an element of want,” he says.

Artistic references have always acted as a starting point for the designer in his women’s collections - from Rudolf Nureyev to Cecil Beaton - and it was a similar starting point for his debut men’s collection, which was unveiled at the tail end of a resoundingly quiet London Fashion Week Men’s.

The designer looked to the iconoclastic filmmaker Derek Jarman, and his life at Prospect Cottage in Dungeness. His uniform of cords, mohair jumpers, and the muted, soft tones of artist Patrick Proctor, a friend of Jarman’s, informed the collection, which imbued the codes that Moralioglu has built up in his womenswear collections - the lusciousness, the richness of detail - with the robustness and rigours of a man’s wardrobe.

A biscuit-hued trench coat, for example, is rendered in jacquard to lend a beguiling surface texture to that most functional item in a man’s wardrobe, while boiler suits come with a delicate toile de joie print; artist overalls with a sprinkling of Erdem stardust.

Alongside the more dramatic pieces - wool capes in twisting floral patterns and shirts with draping around the neckline and sleeves - there were nipped-in, narrow suits complete with waist-enhancing cummerbunds that were sharp, clean and precise. See also the exaggerated lapels and double-breasted front to the series of jackets; alongside the more outre pieces, the collection had some great tailoring.

It was also a shrewd proposal for how men may dress post-pandemic, as a meeting point between smart and casual. “I think you can wear a great knitted cardigan with trousers instead of a jacket now; it’s a first step in establishing new rules,” said the designer.

It was a bold move for Erdem to unveil his first menswear collection around the time of London Fashion Week Men’s digital shows, but a welcome one given the downscaled nature of it as designers sit this one out to wait until physical shows are possible once more.

One of the few shows that did present was Qasimi, now headed by Hoor al Qasimi after the tragic loss of her brother, the brand’s founder Khalid, in 2019. For this spring/summer collection, a welcome sense of optimism seemed to be on the agenda in the form of colours inspired by India; fuchsia pinks, richest spice shades and saffron. The sculptural, scooping shirts pinned with ties on the side were also a nod to the country.

The designer partnered with craftspeople in the UAE on a textured weave called a safeefah native to the region, which was integrated into jackets and trailing from bags, and incorporated saturated ombre effect onto coats and trousers. Aside from the showpieces and in terms of clothes men would happily wear, the label’s shirts are a standout.

Boxy, utilitarian versions, or elongated tunic styles, this is the kind of breezy, holiday-ready attire that should be first on the packing list, when we’re able to travel.

While London Fashion Week Men’s was a truncated affair this time around, one of the highlights was wunderkind designer Priya Ahluwalia of her namesake brand winning the GQ British Fashion Council menswear prize, pocketing a £150,000 cash prize. It’s well deserved; the designer, who founded Ahluwalia after graduating from Westminster University in 2018, has steadily become one of the most exciting names in the capital’s fashion scene.

Her new collection, created in collaboration with Mulberry, looks to the 1970s, and employs the techniques that she adopted from her heritage - her father is Nigerian and her mother Indian - to grand effect, with dyed patterns and beadwork, patchwork across denim and spliced geometric designs across tracksuits. It might have been a quiet affair, but that’s meant that a handful of talents have been able to make all the more impact.

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