Welcome to Style Diaries, a series where we research the physical manifestations of our closet tours IRL. We're asking friends and tastemakers to show us what they're *actually* wearing during the week and to provide a little insight into their thoughts on the current state of fashion. This week, we follow Gergei Erdei, a London-based artist designer who started his own eponymous home decor brand after working at Gucci. His distinct sense of style, which extends across the worlds of fashion, art, interior design, and more, evokes the richness and flair of the 1970s which he modernizes in a timeless manner.
Look 1: A Press Event
“The jacket is vintage, and it's in perfect condition. It's the perfect cut—huge, old school, with satin lapels and everything. The leopard shirt is, again, vintage. Then the pants are from Gucci. The boots are Saint Laurent. The suit is a bit more, I wouldn’t say simple, but a bit too black, maybe. So with the leopard, you add that ‘80s, David Bowie-ish look. With the color, it's a little bit more Robert De Niro in Casino, or something like that. So it's giving that ‘80s, Italian mafia vibe. The tank top is actually from Marks and Spencer. It [feels] old school and that's why I bought it from there.”
Look 2: A Night Out
“The shirt is from Saint Laurent and the tank top Marks & Spencers. Then, the pants are vintage. The belt is from Celine. This shirt is a favorite of mine, because I think the ombré velvet is amazing. It has all the shades of a sunset, which really reminds me of the Los Angeles sky. Whenever I wear this shirt, people come up to me saying, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, this shirt is everything.’ You don't even really need to [style] it because as is, it's super cool.”
Look 3: A Casual Meeting
Photo: Courtesy of Gergei Erdei
“This shirt is from Sandro, and the pants are from Gucci, and then the sneakers are Adidas. The socks are UNIQLO. I'm really obsessed with Cuban collars like this. I have many of these shirts in different colors. It's a bit old school ‘60s, somebody-bought-on-a-vacation-in-Cuba mood. Anytime I see a shirt that has long sleeves and this flowy fabric, basically I'm buying it. The pants are nicely tailored. Then I like these brownish socks with the vintage sneakers because I think they have that old school grandpa vibe.”
Look 4: A Dinner with Friends
“This denim shirt is actually from Zara. It's super, super old. I think I got it when I was maybe 15. It's still in perfect condition. It's a really nice denim shirt. These pants are also from Zara, which is a bit of a surprise. When I was in high school, I used to shop there a lot but not so much now. It was [shocking] that they did these really nice pants, with a great fit. The boots are Saint Laurent as well, and then the belt is Celine. I have [a collection] of everyday pieces that I know work together. They are not too much, but they just look nice—not like a velvet shirt. This is one of those easy and functional looks that still feels like me."
Look 5: An Exhibition Opening
"The jacket and the shirt are from Gucci.. The tank top, Marks & Spencer. Then I'm wearing them with these vintage brown suede pants. The jacket is another [staple] piece, because you can really wear it with everything—with flared denim pants and a t-shirt under or just a white shirt. It has this old school, big lapel, really nice tailoring, as well. The shirt, I just really fell in love with because it has this small, vintage style, geometric pattern—very tiny. Within the tiny pattern, there are some of these tiny, tiny logos, which add to this geometric vibe. [The look] is very brown. It's almost like a sheriff outfit or something.”
Notes on Style:
How would you describe your sense of style and the pieces you gravitate towards?
“I think I'm quite vintage inspired. I used to shop quite a lot of vintage pieces, as well, but to be honest, you can often see some marks on them or they are never really perfect. Now, I try to go for brands who are perfect with the fabrics, the cuts, and everything, but then they have the vintage inspiration. It's almost the same, but remade in a [modern] way, of course.
“I think I'm a jacket person, as well. I don't think too many people, especially at my age, wear [tailored] jackets with shirts. It can be quite formal, but I think you can really use them in a super versatile way. I like the tailored aspect, the old school way of tailoring [specifically], so really constructed shoulders, big lapels. I'm kind of skinny, so I like to use tailoring to look bigger. That's definitely something that I really love that not every brand can really offer now—pants that sit really nicely, a high quality cut.
"I think that a more refined way of dressing is maybe not so common with streetwear brands because they are more about relaxed silhouettes and everything. Most people would probably say, ‘Oh, it's so uncomfortable, the way you dress,’ but actually that is what makes me comfortable.
What are some of your favorite brands or designers then?
“I really like Gucci and Saint Laurent. Then for basics, Sandro. And that's pretty much it. I also shop vintage pieces, like t-shirts, denim.”
What is on the mood board for you when it comes to getting dressed? What are your favorite references or style icons?
“To be honest, I'm doing so much research on Pinterest for my home decor pieces. I also have a background in fashion, so I look at a lot of old editorials or old adverts from lifestyle brands and everything. I always come across fashion references accidentally, whether it's menswear or womenswear. I think in general, the style of Mick Jagger is really nice. I think menswear in the ‘70s was very special because it was definitely a little bit more decadent and flamboyant in a way that was still masculine—almost overly masculine. They used such rich colors and fabrics. You would think, ‘Oh no, that's too much.’ It's almost a feminine thing. But the way the wearer managed to own the pieces, it just really matched with certain characters.”
Paint me a portrait of what your lifestyle looks like. What are the things that you need to actually get dressed for?
“On a day-to-day basis, I'm off running to suppliers and everything, I'm usually just wearing flared denim and maybe a vintage t-shirt. I have a tweed check wool coat. So it's definitely more about comfort. I'll wear sneakers, vintage Adidas, which I would never wear to an event. I work a lot from home, and even if I'm not working from home, I'm visiting so many suppliers, manufacturers, I’m in my studio, [all of which] are not fabulous places. So whenever I go out, even for dinner with friends, I make much more effort to dress up because it becomes almost like a special occasion.
"I think the way you dress is part of your branding as well. I think in my case, because I focus on building a very dissenting branding around everyday pieces, it's almost expected that you need to be in connection with what you do. Otherwise the whole story looks unnatural. Obviously, [this look] comes naturally to me though. Especially if you are meeting with a client or someone from the industry, it all needs to communicate what you want to communicate.”
In terms of signature pieces, tell me about your glasses.
“They are actually just super simple Ray-Bans. I'd been looking for the right Aviators for a while, but because I have quite a narrow face shape, it's hard to find one that fits me. I think with Ray-Ban, it's a very obvious option and they have the same style in different sizes, different finishes. Now, many people started to wear Aviator glasses as opticals, but what I really like about these is this brownish, almost smokey copper finish, which makes them quite different."