Bora Aksu Fall Winter 2023-24 Fashion Show

Bora Aksu, designer of Turkish heritage based in London, presented his Fall Winter 2023-2024 collection in a reflective mood. With the recent earthquake in Turkey and the ongoing situation in Syria, Aksu couldn't help but let these events influence his creative process. "It doesn't always feel like fashion makes sense when there's a situation going on like that, and I think that darker mood definitely made its way into the clothes," Aksu shared.

As a mark of respect to his home country, Aksu dedicated a minute's silence to the lives lost in the tragedy and opted for a modest soundtrack of a cellist playing Beethoven. The collection was presented within the wood-paneled refectory of Goodenough College, an educational charity housed in a stately 1930s building in the heart of Bloomsbury. Aksu leaned on his creative impulses as a form of release, drawing inspiration from diverse sources to create a collection that exuded emotion and artful dishevelment.

A recent trip to the Musée d'Orsay had introduced Aksu to some of Edvard Munch's lesser-known, early works, particularly the sketchily rendered portraits of his free-thinking sisters. Aksu found beauty in their unfinished and raw nature, and this served as a statement about his own design philosophy for this season. His signature laces and crochets were intentionally left in a state of artful dishevelment, creating a sense of undone elegance. "Munch wanted to create emotion," Aksu explained, and his collection echoed this sentiment.

Another source of inspiration for Aksu was the iconic character of Wednesday Addams, which was perfectly timed given the smash hit Netflix series. The combination of Munch's emotional sketches and Wednesday Addams' gothic vibes resulted in a collection that felt like a "lovely, strange marriage," as Aksu described it. The scholastic atmosphere of the show's setting added to the overall mood, with Aksu's designs seamlessly blending elements of nostalgia, emotion, and edge.

One notable aspect of Aksu's Fall Winter 2023-2024 collection was his deliberate use of roughly-hewn details. While he has been known to use off-cuts and scraps from his factories in previous seasons, this time he went even further, delving into his own archives, including his graduate collection, and even his mother's home. "I was going through her yarn cabinets," Aksu shared with a chuckle, "I picked out some yarns, and I just started creating." This personal touch added an intimate and sentimental element to the collection, making it truly unique.

In conclusion, Bora Aksu's Fall Winter 2023-2024 fashion show was a reflection of his emotions and creative impulses amidst the challenging times in his home country. Drawing inspiration from art, literature, and personal memories, Aksu created a collection that exuded emotion, artful dishevelment, and a sense of nostalgia. His deliberate use of roughly-hewn details and gothic touches added an edge to his frou-frou instincts, resulting in a collection that was both thought-provoking and visually captivating. With his unique design philosophy and artistic sensibilities, Bora Aksu once again proved himself as a visionary in the world of fashion.