After staging myriad runway shows under its colonnade and championing its work, Erdem Moralioglu has become a member of the board of trustees of his favorite cultural institution, the British Museum.
“I can’t think of another institution — not only in the U.K., but in the world — that exemplifies and represents time and culture and history in the way they do. The British Museum is an open book to the world. I’m thrilled to be a part of it. It’s also a place that I find infinitely inspiring,” Moralioglu said in an interview.
“I only have to think of that first show that I did in the colonnade that was inspired by various members of the Bloomsbury group, and all of the different shows at the museum. It’s a full-circle moment for me. I believe deeply in the power of art and culture to inspire, and I am excited to play a part in shaping the museum’s future,” he said.
The board of trustees also includes the artist Tracey Emin, classics professor Mary Beard and the designer Jony Ive.
Moralioglu is gearing up for the inaugural British Museum Ball, which will take place on Saturday. The theme this year is pink, and the event dovetails with the British Museum’s exhibition, Ancient India: living traditions.
“It’s an extraordinary event to support international partnerships in places like Iraq, Nigeria and India, and a great opportunity for those partnerships to be celebrated and developed,” the designer said.
Under director Nicholas Cullinan, the British Museum has developed a number of collaborations with fellow cultural institutions, including the Kumasi Palace in Ghana and the History Museum of Armenia.
Next year’s cultural exchange will see the Bayeux Tapestry go on display at the British Museum, while some of the U.K.’s greatest treasures from Sutton Hoo — the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries from the 6th to 7th centuries in Suffolk, England — will be displayed to audiences in museums in Normandy, France.