BORA AKSU X ARMAGGAN

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large (back from Istanbul)

Bora Aksu for Armaggan

 Bora Aksu is, by today's standards, a fashion designer with a difference. He is described as having a demi-couture aesthetic which he faithfully maintains, ensuring each project he participates in will not compromise these ideals. He is also very shy and could barely look at the applauding audience as he took his bow after the catwalk show launching his new collaboration with luxury Turkish store Armaggan on Thursday night.

The Armaggan Nuruosmaniye store

Bora (image kindly provided by David from the BFC after Fashion Junior's went AWOL)

Post-show, Bora and his delightful Mauritian wife, Fella, took time to chat to us UK journos who were completely oblivious to the apparent buzz of Turkish celebrity around us at the glitzy drinks event. There were no airs and graces; Bora and Fella both remembered to jibe me several times for my delay arriving in Istanbul (for reasons which will only bore you). Fella also told me how she and Bora were friends for six years before they finally got together and then married ten years ago. Fella now manages the business side of Bora Aksu. I'm sure they won't mind me saying that although Bora is a show to see at LFW, he doesn't make front-page news. Having grown up in Turkey (before moving to London to study at Central Saint Martins), he is their prize design export and everyone wants to know what Bora is doing meaning that his show pictures will grace the front of all the papers!

Bora Aksu's collection employed the expertise which Armaggan's laboratory is famed for, so the pieces are made using traditional embroidery and weaving techniques, along with the purest silks and wools.

The collaboration with Armaggan is not Bora's first; he also works with Anthropologie in America. This is no H and M style, mass market pair-up though. Only two pieces of each design from the 40 piece collection will be made, making it even more exclusive that Bora's main line. In my post from Istanbul the other day, I alluded to the mix of old and new which is a central part of Armaggan's philosophy. But there is a lot more to it than that; this is not a place to search out a bargain. Every item is so lovingly designed and crafted, usually in the store's own laboratory, that prices rarely go below a few hundred dollars. One yellow sapphire ring on display was $33,000. There are several floors where furniture, art, jewellery and handicraft are displayed as if in a galllery- for most browsers that's what it is I suppose. On a tour of the store before the Bora Aksu unveiling, we were shown the traditional Turkish intricate silk crochet-like pieces which are sold as necklaces or appliqued onto dresses, scarves and handkerchiefs.

It was quite baffling to imagine that this is all done completely by hand and one mistake means starting all over again. Cherie Blair has visited the store several times and among her purchases were three of these dresses, I can't think who for but then perhaps she is of the school of thought that that they are far too precious to actually wear!

In Bora's collection, it was clear to see that he had worked closely with Armaggan (he's been commuting back and forth every week between London and Istanbul for months) to maintain these traditional techniques while also blending in strong military- like shapes through the coats and capes which remind me of an Ottoman warrior. But there was also the easy, jazz age allusion of the loose, drop waist dresses which gave the collection its essential modernity. Should you be in Istanbul, Armaggan would make a fascinating stop-off and after December 15th you will be able to see Bora Aksu's collection for yourself. Thank you Bora, Fella, Armaggan and the delightful Antony for a wonderful trip to Istanbul.

From left to right: Fashion Junior a.k.a Bethan Holt, Jayne from WGSN,  Liz from the Daily Mail, David from the BFC and Lucy from Red.

All images, unless otherwise indicated, by Fashion Junior at Large.

FASHION JUNIOR IN ISTANBUL #1

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

I'm here in a brilliantly sunny, if chilly, Istanbul as a guest of Turkish born, London based designer Bora Aksu to celebrate his collaboration with Armaggan- a store which kind of sums up what Turkey is really about at the moment; the combination of ancient and modern. Armaggan describes itself as 'masterfully combining original contemporary designs with traditional techniques'. I've only been in the city a few hours but I can already sense that it has evolved in a way which complements the magnificent architecture which is everywhere and embraces the routines of coffee, tea and spices, mosque-going and bazaar browsing. I've just returned from lunch at Pandeli restaurant above the city's Spice Bazaar, a foodie feast. I can hear the call to mosque and I can still smell the strong coffee of the bazaar. Tonight, I'm off to the launch of Bora Aksu's collection, much more about that tomorrow. In the meantime, a taster of the Istanbul I've peeked so far...

Through the windows looking onto the Spice Bazaar at Pandeli

Pandeli's famous blue tiles, there since 1955

Bustle of the Spice Bazaar

Ancient and modern...

Everywhere you turn there is another mosque to drop one's jaw at...

The Bosphorus is bright and twinkling

Fishermen beside my hotel

Islamic tile patterns

I love a horse

Turkish slippers and tiles

Old Istanbul

An aspect of Turkish culture which I'm glad to have learnt more about is the Hamam...

'Long before Turkish tribes swept into Anatolia, they had established healthy bathing traditions. Upon their arrival in Asia Minor, the structure of the Byzantine bathhouse merged with Turkish bathing rituals, and the "hamam" was born. Since then the Turkish bath, originally named "hamam", has been an indispensable symbol of the Turkish culture, inspiring many song writers and poets throughout history'

Everything one needs for a Hamam including the Pesteman (towel) and the Kese (glove made from silk, cotton or goat's hair used to scour the skin)

LFW TREND SPOT #1: WITCHCRAFT IS IN THE AIR!

 Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

 As the shows of London Fashion Week get well under way, I have noticed something decidedly spooky in the air. It seems that in their quest for inspiration, designers have thrown away their sketchbooks and turned to spellbooks instead!

The devil is definitely in the detail with this trend, as Maria Grachvogel sent models out in swathes of draped black silk, with decidely deathly makeup (black lipstick, pallid skin with an ethereal glow) and chunky, talisman-style silver jewellery. A ruff of jet back feathers appeared to have been plucked straight from a raven's back.

Maria Grachvogel AW11

This mysterious theme continued at Bora Aksu,where sheer black chiffon was gathered around heavy stitching which gave the impression of voodoo dolls, accompanied by bandages as hair accessories. This intriguing, severe look has distinct echoes of images of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, USA in 1692.

Bora Aksu AW11

 Detail of “Salem Witch Trial Courtroom Scene”
© Bettmann/CORBI

The Puritanical fashions of 1692 are obviously having an effect on designers in London today...

My suspicions were further confirmed at PPQ's brilliant show, closing day one of LFW. The Salem inspirations continued, with crisp puffed sleeves, fabric combinations of starched cotton and gothic black velvet, Quaker style high collars and gold buttons, not to mention the spooky cat hats (everyone knows a witch isn't worth her salt unless she has a black Familiar)

 PPQ AW11

It was impossible to miss the style icon that provided the reference for the hair in their show; none other than my childhood heroine, Mildred Hubble, of the Worst Witch books by Jil Murphy. I'd recognise those plaits anywhere.

Mildred Hubble, off for a day at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. What a style icon.

We had a feeling something witchy was going on ever since Meadham Kirchoff's show invite dropped through our letterbox. No doubt their Tuesday show will have more spookiness to add to the (cauldron) mix.

Meadham Kirchoff show invite

After day one of the shows, it is clear that this Autumn is going to be the Season of the Witch*.

*No relation to the utterly rubbish Nicolas Cage movie of the same name.

BORA AKSU GETS MY VOTE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

My favourite show of the day was probably Bora Aksu. Lots of peach tones on pale grey, liquid gold lamé and sinewy lengths of fabric twisted around the model's bodies. I didn't manage to get my hands on a press release to discover the inspiration behind the collection but I'm intrigued to find out.

There is always one piece which causes a little ripple of excitement when the model steps onto the catwalk. The audience is in agreement that this is our collective favourite, and camera bulbs pop just a little more ferociously than normal. In this collection it was the pale pink dress in the far right of the picture. Gorgeous...

Pic Credits: Chis Moore / Catwalking.com

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