Bringing together two decades of ERDEM designs with selected works from the Museum of Islamic Art’s collection, the exhibition explores fashion as a language of craftsmanship, memory, artistic inspiration, and cultural storytelling
On view 27 October through 26 December 2026 at M7
DOHA, Qatar, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This October, Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, will present ERDEM: About Time, About Her, a major retrospective dedicated to the work of internationally acclaimed British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralioglu. Born in Montreal to a Turkish father and British mother, Erdem founded his eponymous label in London in 2005. Marking the 20th anniversary of ERDEM, the exhibition explores the designer’s creative evolution and the refined visual language that defines ERDEM’s work today. The exhibition is presented at M7, Qatar’s epicentre for innovation and entrepreneurship in fashion, design, and technology, and organised as part of the Qatar Canada and Mexico 2026 Year of Culture.
On view from 27 October through 26 December 2026, ERDEM: About Time, About Her is curated by Olivier Gabet, with exhibition design by P. Joseph and immersive installation design by Robin Brown. It will bring together over 150 pieces from ERDEM, including garments, sketches, personal ephemera and atelier materials.
ERDEM: About Time, About Her demonstrates how fashion functions as a powerful form of cultural storytelling. Organised across five thematic chapters, the exhibition traces the precision and poetic sensibilities that define Erdem’s work.
Alongside Erdem’s designs, the exhibition features works from the Museum of Islamic Art, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. By presenting garments alongside selected objects from the Museum of Islamic Art’s collections, the exhibition explores the shared visual languages and cultural narratives that connect fashion and decorative arts and uncovers the dialogue between Erdem’s designs and the wider cultural and artistic world.
- The Human Hand: In the Atelier introduces how Erdem works, including his formative years through early sketches, college work, personal objects, and atelier materials that illuminate the origins of his aesthetic vision.
- Typologies: ERDEM Codes examines the recurring visual language of ERDEM that has evolved over two decades of collections.
- Objects of Affection places Erdem’s garments in dialogue with selected works from the Museum of Islamic Art’s collection, revealing unexpected conversations between fashion, painting, sculpture, and decorative arts.
- The Muse explores iconic personalities whose lives and stories have inspired the designer’s work, such as the Duchess of Devonshire, Maria Callas, Margot Fonteyn, Marianne North, Hélène Smith, and the 1958 meeting between Queen Elizabeth II and jazz musician Duke Ellington.
- The Imaginary Conversation offers a vibrant closing chapter, celebrating Erdem’s Autumn/Winter 2026 20th anniversary show.
Erdem Moralioglu, Creative Director and Founder of ERDEM, said: “I have always been fascinated by the capacity of clothing to hold the trace of a person, a place or a moment in time. Bringing together a 20-year body of work, this exhibition reflects the lives, narratives and encounters that have shaped an evolving language. It is a privilege to share this reflection on the past two decades with a wider audience.”
Maha Al Sulaiti, Director of M7, said: “Our mission at M7 is to strengthen creative exploration and deepen the public’s appreciation for design. ERDEM: About Time, About Her offers audiences a rare opportunity to engage closely with the thinking behind a globally recognised fashion house, while inspiring emerging designers to understand how a distinctive creative identity can be developed over time. We are proud to present an exhibition that celebrates two decades of innovation while creating new connections between fashion, art, and human experience.”
Olivier Gabet, Curator, Director of Objets d’Art Department at Musée du Louvre, said: “Over the past 20 years, Erdem Moralioglu has created far more than a distinctive language of dress: he has constructed an imaginative world in which history is never fixed, beauty is never innocent, and the past is continually transformed by the present. His work belongs to that rare territory where fashion becomes culture. Deeply British yet profoundly international, Erdem draws upon art, literature, and history with both the rigour of a scholar and the freedom of a storyteller. This exhibition at M7 in Doha is therefore not simply a retrospective, but a portrait of an imagination in motion: an invitation to enter the world of ERDEM and encounter the extraordinary constellation of women, histories, materials and dreams that has shaped one of the most singular voices in fashion.”
As part of the Qatar Canada and Mexico 2026 Year of Culture, ERDEM: About Time, About Her celebrates the connections between different countries internationally.
Through new scholarship on Qatar Museums’ collections, the exhibition speaks to the lasting value of Years of Culture and to how creative practice can build lasting cultural understanding across borders.
Opening during Qatar Creates Fall/Winter 2026-27 season, the exhibition reinforces M7’s role as a leading international platform for fashion, design, and creative entrepreneurship. Alongside the wider programme of exhibitions and events, ERDEM: About Time, About Her reflects Qatar’s commitment to international creative exchange and to fostering dialogue through culture.
About Years of Culture
The Years of Culture initiative, chaired by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, spearheads long-lasting cultural partnerships between Qatar and other nations. It exists to promote respect and understanding among diverse cultures and serves as a catalyst for bringing people together, nurturing connections, encouraging dialogue, and deepening understanding. At its core, Years of Culture is a portal for making connections across various sectors, including cultural heritage, creative industries, social and economic development, and innovation, which enriches Qatar’s ties with partner countries beyond the dedicated year.
Each year is organised with support from Qatar and partner countries’ cultural institutions, ministries, foundations, and private and public sector partners, with assistance from Embassies in Qatar and abroad. Programmes are tailored to explore the unique nature of each partner country.
Previous Years of Culture have included: Qatar-Japan 2012, Qatar-UK 2013, Qatar-Brazil 2014, Qatar-Türkiye 2015, Qatar-China 2016, Qatar-Germany 2017, Qatar-Russia 2018, Qatar-India 2019, Qatar-France 2020, Qatar-USA 2021, Qatar-MENASA 2022, Qatar-Indonesia 2023, Qatar-Morocco 2024, and Qatar Argentina and Chile 2025.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af75767f-a915-4762-9a80-e9ff90759cff