LFW SS26: Erdem channels Hélène Smith’s mystical visions in a dreamlike fusion of history, romance and the otherworldly

For spring/summer 2026, Erdem looks to the multifaceted figure of Hélène Smith - the late 19th-century Swiss medium whose trances carried her across centuries, continents, and even planets.

Smith, whose visions were both fantastical and controversial, believed she had lived multiple past lives: as a member of the French court, an Indian princess, and a traveller on Mars.

These so-called "Romantic Cycles", as named by psychologist Théodore Flournoy, formed the mythos that both defined and destabilised her.

The show opened with an hourglass mini dress crafted from collaged antique lace remnants, embroidered with jet crystal symbols. This was followed by a reversible trench coat in ivory metallised cotton, featuring a floral embroidered lining and lace-collaged detailing.

Florals emerged as a consistent motif throughout the collection, appearing in embroidery, prints, and appliqué - a testament to the designer’s signature detailing and innovative use of botanical themes.

A green washed satin trench coat featured intricate crystal embellishments, while a hand-quilted ivory cotton corset - adorned with jet crystal symbols - was paired with a mini skirt in ivory cotton twill, delicately embroidered with florals.

Metallised materials added a futuristic gleam throughout, nodding to Smith’s imagined life on Mars.

Other key looks included a striped cotton nightshirt and matching drawstring trousers, layered under a floral-embroidered pannier corset belt - a structured nod to historical silhouettes, reframed with modern irreverence.

A floral-printed chiné shirt and matching skirt offered a softer, more romantic interpretation of the recurring floral theme.

The colour palette ranged from whites, greys, browns, and black, with colour delicately introduced through floral embellishments. This was interspersed with vibrant shades of green and pink - adding a sense of vitality and contrast to the collection.

This season, Erdem embraces the poetic dissonance of Hélène Smith’s inner worlds - merging myth, memory, and imagination into a concept that is as intriguing as it is beautiful.