This article originally appeared in Vogue Business.
You know the saying, “When it rains, it pours”? That certainly applies to Erdem Moralıoğlu, whose brand will mark its 20th anniversary in early 2026. As a prelude to the festivities, the designer has released his first monograph with Rizzoli and is opening the brand’s second London store today—ten years after launching its flagship on South Audley Street in Mayfair.
Over the past two decades, Moralıoğlu has built his London-based company into one of the city’s treasures. His intricate and highly sought-after designs attract a stylish and diverse clientele, from Kate Middleton to Erin O’Connor. The brand’s runway shows are traditionally held at the British Museum—a statement in itself.
The company also operates two other stores, both in Seoul, which opened in August 2024 and March 2025. All locations were designed in partnership with P Joseph Architecture & Design, the firm owned by Moralıoğlu’s husband, Philip Joseph. I spoke with the couple over Zoom about their stores, design philosophy, and retail spaces.
Vogue: You already have one store in London and two in Seoul. Why open another in London rather than somewhere else in the world?
Erdem: We opened the South Audley Street store over ten years ago, and it has doubled its sales in the last three years. Even compared to last year, it grew by more than 20%. So there’s still room for new customers to discover the brand. When the opportunity on Sloane Street came up, we felt it was a great way to connect with clients in another part of London.
Philip: Sloane Street has a renewed energy. They’ve made significant improvements to the area—wider sidewalks, tree-lined streets—making it a more attractive shopping destination with an international feel. The location is fantastic, with major global brands right across the street. The Mayfair store is a bit more tucked away, so the Sloane Street location helps raise brand awareness.
Erdem: South Audley Street is more focused on personalized client services, offering individual appointments for our existing customers. With Sloane Street, we hope to broaden our client base.
Vogue: Wholesale retail has faced many challenges since the pandemic. Do you feel a greater need to reach customers directly?
Erdem: Having your own space is incredibly powerful—it lets you immerse customers in your world. A runway show only lasts eight minutes and is fleeting, but a physical store offers a lasting presence. Direct-to-consumer sales now make up over a third of our revenue. We operate a few owned retail spaces in a very unpredictable climate.
Vogue: You’re longtime partners in life, and this isn’t your first professional collaboration. What’s it like working together? What have you learned, and what challenges have you faced?
Philip: This time feels different. When we did the first store, I had just left my job of ten years to start my own practice, and the South Audley store was our first project. There was a lot of pressure then—it was our first chance to express ourselves. Now, as an established practice, we’re much calmer. Wouldn’t you agree, Erdem?
Erdem: Philip has seen every collection since I graduated. He even designed my show spaces before we moved to the British Museum. Who better to build the brand’s world than the person I’ve grown up with?
Vogue: How do you think the brand has evolved in the ten years since opening South Audley?
Erdem: There’s a sense of completeness now that maybe wasn’t there ten years ago.A few seasons ago, for instance, there’s now more knitwear, tailoring, and accessories. But in a way, she’s also constant.
Vogue: You keep saying ‘she’ and ‘her.’ Who is she?
Erdem: She’s the customer, the muse—it’s her. The person in my sketchbooks, and the person who propels my ideas.
A design from their AW25 collection is available in the store.
Vogue: How does she come to life in the stores?
Erdem: When we sat down to plan what that first store could be—Philip, not to speak for you, but your approach was quite detailed, wouldn’t you say? Like, what art would she collect? What furniture would she sit on? What carpet would suit her changing area?
Philip: To me, she’s a collage of many women we know who actually wear the brand. So it’s about imagining her environment and building a picture around her. But what’s interesting now is that we’ve had the Mayfair store for 10 years. There’s this unfortunate trend of store concepts being seen as disposable, as if they need to constantly change.
When we designed South Audley Street, it was very important to us that the store felt timeless, enduring, and permanent. The wonderful thing is that we haven’t changed a thing in 10 years, and it still feels great to be in. All the decisions about material quality and the craftspeople we worked with were made so carefully from the start, and that’s really paid off. We approached the Sloane Street store in the same way, just evolving the experience.
Vogue: Let’s get a bit more technical. How did you achieve that design-wise?
Philip: South Audley Street is in a 19th-century building with some original historic fixtures, so we could play off that. In contrast, the Sloane Street store is in a lovely 1920s building but a rather plain retail space. So we thought of it more as an atelier or her studio and decided to collaborate with Robin Brown, an incredibly talented production designer we’ve worked with on shows before. He worked with scenic painters to create a new language of wall panels and armatures that support clothes rails, shelves, a display case, sculpture, and artwork. The wall panels are wrapped in coarse canvas, treated as a single abstract artwork by scenic painters in the brand’s signature blue. We’ll also have artwork in the store to reinforce the idea of her as a collector.
Erdem: Philip’s approach to the two stores is that they are sisters; they relate to each other. For example, the blue pigment Philip developed for South Audley Street was the perfect color to revisit and layer on the canvases, making it feel like an artist’s studio. There’s something slightly more informal about that space. The goal with South Audley Street was to create a permanent space, like a beautiful jewel. Sloane Street is much more playful.
Vogue: Are you both more relaxed and willing to be playful now because you’re more established in your careers?
Philip: The nice thing about being more experienced is that we can handle the necessary, more mundane tasks—like ensuring the lighting is perfect and the AC is great—impeccably, faster, and more efficiently. With those things taken care of, we have room to have fun. We can work with a scenic painter and do something a bit unconventional because we know how to make everything else work really well.
Erdem: Overall, the Sloane Street space and its concept are much more personal. It’s about the blurred line between the studio and the home. With the art we’ve collected, like pieces by Kaye Donachie and Wilhelm Lehmbruck, the store feels like a beautiful house where they can all live.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about The Power of a Personal Space based on a conversation with Erdem Moralolu and Philip Joseph
General Beginner Questions
1 What exactly is a personal space in this context
Its a physical or mental environment you create that reflects your identity values and needs Its a place like a favorite room or even a corner where you feel completely at ease and in control
2 Why is having a personal space so important
A wellcurated personal space provides a sanctuary It reduces stress boosts creativity improves focus and serves as a retreat from the busy outside world allowing you to recharge
3 I live in a small apartment How can I create a personal space
You dont need a whole room It can be a dedicated chair by a window a specific spot at your table or even a shelf with your favorite objects The key is intentionality not square footage
4 Who are Erdem Moralolu and Philip Joseph and why are they discussing this
Erdem Moralolu is the creative director of the fashion house Erdem and Philip Joseph is the cofounder of the design and architecture firm Joseph Dirand They bring perspectives on how aesthetics design and personal environment shape our experience and identity
Benefits Philosophy
5 How does my physical space affect my mental state
Your surroundings directly influence your mood and thoughts A cluttered chaotic space can create anxiety while a calm ordered and beautiful environment can promote peace and clarity
6 Is a personal space a luxury or a necessity
While it can feel like a luxury the speakers would argue its a necessity for mental wellbeing Everyone deserves a place however small that feels like their own
7 Can a personal space be digital like a phone or computer
Yes the concept can extend to digital realms Curating your desktop organizing your files or having a specific playlist can create a digital personal space that influences your focus and mood
Design Curation
8 What are the key elements for creating a powerful personal space
Focus on elements that engage your senses lighting textures meaningful objects art books