As a child, Bora Aksu would spend summers in the glittering, sun-soaked city of Izmir, at his family’s rustic house. The lush garden would blossom with fruit trees, enlivening the foliage with flashes of yellow, orange and pink. At sunrise, the dew would glisten and the colours would slowly come alive.
Such a powerful, nostalgic image led to a supreme collection for Aksu this season. A designer lauded for his cocktail offering, SS16 saw him play to his strengths with a collection loaded with froth, frills, and flirty appeal.
The show began with a series of intricately worked pieces in a muted palette of blush, black, and white. Crafted from delicately worked lace and spiderweb silks, they appeared to float around the body, barely skimming the skin. These pieces were a delight, but the real treat was still to come. A riotous explosion of sunset tones – orange, fuchsia, pink, and yellow – shot the collection to exotic new heights.
Lace dresses were spliced and sliced into impressive silhouettes, the sheer fabric revealing beach-bronzed limbs beneath. Add in a pair of lace-up heels and a crown of flowers, and you’ve got a hot-weather event look made in heaven. Or, perhaps, Izmir.
by Roberta Lister