We have gathered our notes on the collections we watched on the runway during the five-day Istanbul Fashion Week 2017 Spring/Summer season at Zorlu PSM.
MERCEDES-BENZ ISTANBUL FASHION WEEK HAS ALREADY PUT ITS SIGNATURE ON 2017
The event took place from 11 to 15 October at Zorlu Centre PSM. It would be no exaggeration to say that the Mercedes-Benz Spring Summer 2017 shows put on a visual spectacle for us. Throughout the week, distinguished fashion lovers, celebrities, editors and the press flocked to the shows, which featured many famous designers.
Image: The Zorlu Center towers in Zincirlikuyu, Istanbul, with a red city bus passing in front (representative image) — CeeGee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Image: A model walking the runway in a black leather jacket and wide trousers (AW2016 show) (representative image) — Mikkel Voelcker Petersen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The first day of the week
The week kicked off with the Lug Von Siga show. Her designs, which I would describe as particularly chic and out of the ordinary, were a real pleasure to watch and eye-catching. Next we continued with the designs of Arzu Kaprol, whose shows I admire and follow closely; her designs blended simplicity and elegance flawlessly. Cihan Nacar is one of the first names that comes to mind when you think of bikinis, and at her show we watched a mix of black and white with colour. With Tülin Şahin also appearing on the runway, the designs had a multiplied impact — the kind that will make you long for summer. Later in the day, designs by Aslı Alev, Derya Açıkgöz and Bahar Korçan took to the runway.
The second day
We began the second day with the designs of Selma Çilek, who says she can take inspiration from anything. Then we continued with Selma State, Belma Özdemir and Raşit Bağzıbağlı. There was also serious audience traffic at the show of Tuba Ergin, whose designs I follow closely; she presented Bio-Mimique in a special show. The visual feast then continued with Dilek Hanif Kiğılı and Özgür Mahsur.
The third day
On the third day of fashion week, the opening began with the unsurprising splendour of mudo. Then we watched the designs of the distinguished designers Db Berdan Minn and Özlem Süer. I say Bora Aksu and that’s all I need to say. It was one of the best I saw at Fashion Week 2017 Spring Summer, because one of the main aims of this collection was for stillness to add richness. Bora Aksu used short jackets among his designs, contrasting coral with black alongside sand and skin tones.
And New Gen by IMA. IMA supports Fashion Week every year, and this year too, with its young designers, it proved to the entire fashion world that it holds great promise. A jury made up of leading names in the fashion industry selected the young designers. Şebnem Günay, Merve Odabaşı, Lale İnceoğlu, Merve Gülbudak and Kübra Ünlü had the chance to show their designs. The day was closed by Mehtap Elaidi, Atıl Kutoğlu and Les Benjamins.
The fourth day
Ayşe Deniz Yeğin opened the fourth day in all its splendour, with free-spirited designs for different women taking to the runway. We watched Doğay Can in a show inspired by the samurai, the warriors of Japanese culture. The collection displayed the modern woman’s posture, standing at least as tall as the samurai, and symbolised courtesy and wisdom. As well as jumpsuits and skort skirts, asymmetric cuts and camel pleat details featured frequently. The Black-belt design spoke to strong women. Then we watched the collections of Afffair, Sudietuz and Can Yunus Çetinkaya one after another. Ölem Kaya’s show was also well worth watching.
Brand who presented to fashion lovers a collection inspired by life in Cuba. The designs were based on comfort as well as nostalgic touches. Beyond the classic colours, saffron yellow, mint green and candy pink were among the standout colours. The slippers and sandals in the show also bear Giray Sepin’s signature, and the choreography was by Uğurhan Akdeniz. They chose Makas for hair design and MAC Cosmatics for make-up. We closed Friday with Bashaques. Now I continue my article with the last day of the shows.
The last day: Saturday
On Saturday, the winds of fashion blew even harder at Zorlu Centre. Mert Erken presented the perfect union of flawlessness and simplicity. The shows then continued with Meltem Özbek’s collection ‘Lady Bird’. Flowing skirts, silk blouses and dresses stood out in designs inspired by exotic prints, bringing the 1980s to the runway adapted to the present day. The names ELLE, MAC COSMETICS and SEYİT KARAKAŞ also feature in the show. I’d like to say that those who missed it should be sorry.
After Murat Aytulum’s IMA Talk with Dicle Kayek, we continued with Çiğdem AKIN, in my view the best of the best. The show was packed. In fact, at the show, which all the fashion lovers gave a standing ovation, many esteemed celebrities also made an appearance. Of the fifty pieces she showed, what stuck in my mind most was a red two-piece Spanish ensemble. In the collection, with its rich fabric design, coral, ice blue, nude and matt gold stood out. In addition, 25 models presented the 70s piece ‘Someting Stupid’. Famous models Şebnem Shaefer and Güney Musayeva also took part in the show.
Ending with a closing party, the 8th Istanbul Fashion Week visually proved that Turkey holds great promise in fashion. Endless thanks to all the designers who contributed and presented us with this feast.
What stood out from the Istanbul Fashion Week 2017 season
This season stood out for bringing experienced names and young designers together on the same schedule. For example, New Gen by IMA gave young designers selected by the jury a runway opportunity, while established brands kept to their signature lines. That is the real function of fashion weeks: buyers, the press and fashion lovers see the direction of the next season at the same time.
Zorlu PSM hosted the Istanbul Fashion Week 2017 shows. You can follow the venue’s current events on Zorlu PSM’s official website. And for one of the later seasons of the same event, read our report on the Spring/Summer 2020 season.