We never thought that this day will come.
After a year of sweatshirts and jogger pants, it’s hard to get our from our comfort zone habits just like that. But Istanbul Fashion Week is a good way to start.
Glamour is back in town. From town, we mean Istanbul. Turkish designers like Özlem Süer, Museum of Fine Clothing, Zeynep Erdoğan, Sudi Etuz and Cihan Nacar are bringing a brand new post-pandemic fashion attitude and we are so ready for it.
Şansım Adalı’s, —founder of Sudi Etuz— motivation was more the subculture of Asia and Turkish mythology. Well, you might wonder where is the glamour? Here, the glamour settles into the hued tulles, outsize dresses and puffed sleeves with a humble behaviour. Asian motifs, Sakura flowers and pillowy kimonos are stood for a whole other point in the collection. Bright fuchsia, reds, deep blacks, mint greens were a reminder of the unique subculture of Asia.
It’s hard not to mention the graceful glamour of the Renaissance era. “The dress folds, called draperies, were modeled on ancient sculptures and emphasized in the renaissance period with an anachronistic approach” Turkish designer Cihan Nacar noted. Voluminous fabrics seep into the digital runway from the castles and palaces of the Edwardian-Victorian period. Cihan Nacar’s neo-classical woman secure her position in the modern world with a bit of color, volume and tectonic patterns.
Glam feeling in Özlem Süer's new collection is in a 19th-century fairytale-like tone. The cunning play between tulles, sequins and experimental forms is both peaceful and provocative. Blurred silhouettes moving in opposite directions are in harmony with each other. Reef-like forms placed on shoulders and collars were perfect company for the soignée lace.
Glam manifests itself, sometimes with all its coldblood. In its straightest, most classical form. Just like Zeynep Erdoğan's definition of glamour consisting of simplicity and naturality. Soft, maximalist ribbons add a feminine touch to the "masculine" attitude of the collection; partly on the shoulders, partly on the waist. The message here is very clear: Even an effortless appearance has a hidden glamour inside. Yes, maybe it's too early to invite glamour back to our wardrobes and styles. But Istanbul Fashion Week proves the opposite.
Author: Zeynep Gür
