Özgür Masur’s Byzantium Show Earns a Standing Ovation
Renowned fashion designer Özgür Masur showed his collection, which he named Byzantium, at Tersane Istanbul yesterday evening. Masur breaks the conventional moulds of couture and offers us a different perspective. He presented his 65-piece collection on 65 models.
Özgür Masur explores Byzantium, a reference point for many eras. He addresses the Byzantine notions of the people, the palace and women, drawing on the Byzantine teachings that have stayed with him from childhood to the present day. In this collection he matches the city stories of the era with today’s technology and the silhouettes of modern life. Masur brings to life striking pieces rooted in Byzantine culture.
Özgür Masur creates manipulations and hybrids on fabric. With bold, daring handcraft, he puts his signature on display in an eclectic way.
Indeed, the fabrics in the collection reflect the manipulations created in Masur’s 35-person design atelier. The atelier sews every fabric by hand, using materials that bear the traces of history.
The designers’ bold approach to choosing new materials shows itself in three-dimensional, layered forms.
The collection examines every period and circumstance of the Byzantine Empire, from its love stories to its wars. Masur adds masculine momentum drawn from Byzantium to the feminine energy in his designs. He reinterprets historic elements of the era such as mosaics, chandeliers, period instruments, frescoes, armour and crowns, doing so through updated versions of these objects. In the end, it is precisely this blend that makes the couture collections Özgür Masur describes as “the laboratory of his designs” so unique.
Finally, bringing guests together with his designs at the end of the show won much admiration, giving them the chance to see the magnificent pieces up close.
The Byzantium show: Byzantine aesthetics on the runway
With its mosaics, gilded icons, rich textiles and ceremonial dress, Byzantine art has inspired designers for centuries. Özgür Masur’s collection does not copy this heritage directly. Instead, it reinterprets elements such as mosaics, chandeliers, frescoes, armour and crowns through contemporary silhouettes.
According to the report, the designer presented the 65-piece collection on 65 models. He prepared the fabrics by hand in his 35-person atelier. This is exactly what lies at the heart of couture: the atelier produces each piece through long hours of handwork, and often made to measure. Masur’s description of his collections as “the laboratory of his designs” therefore points to the experimental side of couture.
For another design drawing on Istanbul and its Byzantine heritage, take a look at our story on Dice Kayek’s Hagia Sophia design. For the history of the era that inspired the collection, you can also see the Byzantine Empire entry on Wikipedia (Turkish).