Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LONDON (AP) - Fall may be just settling on London, but designer Bora Aksu already has audiences longing for sunnier climes and exotic Aegean holidays with his cheerful new collection for spring and summer.
Aksu's catwalk show, which kicked off London Fashion Week on Friday, was an ode to his homeland, Turkey. Rich hand-woven textiles, crochets, ethnic embroidery and tassels pay tribute to the craft of traditional artisans, while a vibrant palette of lemon yellow, hot pink and shades of soothing blue evoke a sun-drenched land and lazy days by the seaside.
Aksu, who moved to London some 15 years ago, said his designs were inspired by his childhood memories of long, hot summers at home.
"I felt that I wanted to re-ignite the passion coming from the rich culture and traditional artistry of Turkey that had inspired me in the first place," he said.
The preview opened with a series of white dresses, pencil skirts and shorts ensembles that focused on the clothes' textures: thick quilted cottons, crochets and laces, and plastic-coated fabrics layered with wispy chiffons and tulles.
The silhouettes and many of the details were sweet and girly, with high collars, frills, puffy Victorian sleeves, tiered peasant skirts and flouncy shapes that hide the curves, though a cropped, boxy jacket here and there kept things from being too saccharine.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
