After graduating from London College of Fashion, Gergei Erdei moved to Rome and joined Gucci as a womenswear designer before becoming an embroidery designer under [creative director] Alessandro Michele. Always interested in interior design, he started to work on his brand more seriously during the first lockdown. We caught up with him, to hear more about the delights of his first collection…
What inspires your work? I’m influenced by antiquity, 1950s and 60s pop culture and the joyful spirit of the 70s. Almost every design has juxtaposed references: mythological creatures or ancient motifs, with colours that could nod to a vintage blouse I saw in a market. My new collection, ‘Herculaneum’, draws on the 70s Palm Beach jet-set lifestyle and the work of David Hicks and André Arbus. I believe in preserving the past but creating for the present.
Tell us about your approach to illustration... I really like imperfections in paintings and frescoes, and my prints have all these hand-drawn characteristics, from visible brushstrokes to textured chalk lines. In the age of computer illustration, it’s important to preserve the beauty of human-made work, which it will never be possible to recreate with any online tool.
Which artists and designers do you admire? El Anatsui, a sculptor from Ghana, transforms everyday materials into striking installations using traditional African techniques. I like the aesthetic of Romeo Rega, Jean Claude Mahey and Tony Duquette, and I’m a big fan of William Eggleston’s nostalgic photography.
What are you working on next? A collaboration with a French streetwear brand. I’m also planning a made-to-order capsule collection of furniture and expanding my range of decorative objects. There are plenty of exciting projects on the way, and even more in my head... gergeierdei.com
