By Li-Yue Liang
Turkish designer Bora Aksu showcased his latest collection at London Fashion Week on September 14, 2012. The subject of this show is ‘Modern Queen’. Speaking ahead of the show at Somerset House Aksu said: ‘My main starting point for inspiration came from Queen Victoria’s grand-daughter, Marie, who became the Queen of Romania in 1922’.
Every piece of Bora Aksu collection inspired by Marie is elegant but playful, as she was herself. The contrasts of colour and texture display the duplicity to her character.
‘The way she embraced traditional Romanian culture without losing her Englishness led to a lot of beautiful references.’ ‘As well as her style and charisma, inspiration for spring/summer 2013 has come from the love she had for her botanical garden in Balchik.’ Bora Aksu has used Marie’s love of Art Deco and her gardens to create a print that forms the heart of almost every garment and each collection shows its own tale of Marie’s growing fondness for her new land and in turn her popularity.
Refreshing blue dove greys and delicate whites dominate the collection and give an instantly romantic, yet somber feel. As Marie’s story unfolds, vibrant mustards, golds and corals give a racy injection, reminiscent not only of her love life, but also of the gardens she loved so well.
Bora Aksu
London based Turkish designer Bora Aksu received his first acclaim when he graduated from Central St Martin’s MA in 2002. Hailed as ‘the star of the show’ by The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Independent, Bora’s collection also attracted the eye of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabanna who purchased pieces to use as inspiration.
Leave a Reply