LFW | Bora Aksu AW 13

The inspiration for the AW13 Bora Aksu came from the infamous Dolly Sisters Rosie and Jenny. Representing the duality of their lives as well as being a modernization of women’s wear of the 1920’s, the show was an array of beautiful pieces. The show felt very much like Bora Aksu was telling us a story about a girl who is growing up with the beginning of the representing childhood, then moving on to teenage years before showing us a confident and grown-up, beautiful woman at the end.

Opening with white, pearl-encrusted dresses the Bora Aksu girl appeared innocent and whimsical. Their hair slicked back into Heidi-style double buns the girls had lace crowns adorning their foreheads, which was probably the most literal reference the 1920’s in the show. Greys and whites were the predominant colours in the beginning of the show, with lace and playful shoulder Volants further emphasising the apparent innocence of the pieces.

However, as the show moved on his girl became more worldly, gown up and darker. Khakis, navy and black began to slowly take over from the earlier light colours. Grey leather and fur coats helped the smooth transition into the second half of the show. A personal favourite was the grey leather coat with fur along the shoulders and upper body. A stunning piece that could even make a simple jeans-and-t-shirt look glamorous.

We also saw leather corsets, some decorated with fur, others left plain to stand on their own. The Bora Aksu girl seemed to make a transition into a more adventurous persona with an edge but beaming with confidence. Another personal favourite was the leather bodice dress with a white lace skirt as it perfectly represented the transition between innocence, playfulness and a more edgy, bold Bora Aksu girl.

The later half of the show showed us navys, black and a beautiful violet-purple that made the pieces stand out. The stunning navy-white prints that we saw are sure to become a classic, being modern yet having a vintage feel. We saw a mix of tight and loose fitting pieces which illustrated the duality between freedom and restriction that women of the 1920’s experienced.

The standout piece of the collection for me was a violet-purple print dress at the end of the show. While showing of women’s shape it was just beautiful in itself. A combination of print, a belt and a silk back meant an instant connection to the piece and I can’t wait to see whether I will get a chance to wear this dress.

Words | Charlie Natter

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