Deniz Kılınç / London, February 20 (HNA) – Autumn-Winter 23-24 sees Bora Aksu celebrate the outcast, forgoing the brand’s signature whimsical colour palette for an altogether darker and more enigmatic aesthetic.
For his muse, Aksu takes inspiration from two disparate outsiders separated by time and place but united in their ambitious nonconformity; the troubled artist Edvard Munch and the countercultural symbol that is Wednesday Addams.
In a collection that juxtaposes foreboding tones and rough detailing with the femininity and demi-couture craftsmanship that has become Aksu’s staple, AW23-24 celebrates a woman who knows herself and champions her imperfections against all adversity.
Inspired by a recent trip to Le Musée D’Orsay, Aksu came across the early works of Edvard Munch and was taken in by his self-discipline and steadfastness in the face of scepticism. Munch spent the early years of his creative career mired by constant criticism surrounding the unfinished and overworked look of his art, however, he continued to defend his work and its role in depicting the raw, unfettered reality of human emotion as it reflected his own traumatic upbringing.
This collection sees Bora Aksu rework past motifs to create a sense of circulation within his designs, focusing on loved ideas from the past and finding ways to update, enhance and ultimately redefine them for a new season. By replacing Aksu’s signature colour palette with a more muted collection of blacks and whites, he has been able to hold up a mirror to his own creative process and push himself further than ever before with his use of form and volume.
Alongside this comes Aksu’s now synonymous tailoring, deep black dresses and trench coats with taffeta detailing showcase the interplay between soft and hard, light and dark. To go with this are a collection of sleek suits that juxtapose bold masculine tailoring with softer and more feminine details. Taking inspiration from the sharp contrasts of both Munch and Addams, Aksu plays with the idea of darkness and uses light, ethereal fabrics to challenge the perception of black as inanimate and cold colour.
Continuing from previous seasons, Bora Aksu has once again utilised old, unused and rejected fabrics to craft his pieces. This enhances the demi-couture craftsmanship of the collection while enhancing the garments with intricate and unique detailing. Delicate embroidery and playful motifs enhance Aksu’s taffeta dresses’ clean structuring and playful nature and deliver the brand’s constant sense of romance.
An altogether darker take on his designs, Aksu has used the inspiration of Munch and Addams to create a multi-faceted and enigmatic collection that retains its playful, childlike joy while delivering a more complex and nuanced romance.