MBFWI: Get together
On the magical Bosphorus shores, the fashion proposals from Turkish designers go on stage, ranging between romanticism and transgression
by Alessandro Ferrari
Among other things, all fashion professionals have a particularly pleasant and favorable benefit: the opportunity/duty to travel in pursuit of any catwalk and international fair, from Milan to Paris, from London to New York up to the Far East, becoming real fashion globe trotters.
When the time comes for the Turkish fashion week, this benefit is boosted as it implies doing one’s job within a fascinating and unique setting: Istanbul.
From 8th to 11th October, the 14th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul (MBFWI) took place there, supported and organized as usual by the Istanbul Ready-Made Garment and Apparel Association (IHKIB), proudly celebrating the tenth anniversary of the event, as an additional proof of being a solid and constantly evolving platform.
Hosted for the sixth time in the futuristic Zorlu Performance Arts Center location, this edition stood out for the wide range of events, shows and performances all aimed at supporting the development and evolution of the Turkish fashion system.
The attendance was about 5000 people per day, for a total of 20,000 visitors, attended 30 fashion shows, a dozen interesting talks and the well-proven The Core, an exhibition space introducing 20 collections ranging from mainstream brands to talented start-ups managed by Turkish designers, especially meant for local and international buyers.
The talks, launched last season as a new project, were inspired by the main theme of the show, “Together”, counting fashion professionals, brand managers and designers; this mutual exchange helped to define a precise picture of the contemporary fashion industry, covering issues such as new media, sustainability and future trends.
From a trend point of view, the designers’ creations definitely left their mark, introducing sexy transparencies, provocative genderless collections and more avant-garde outfits inspired by sporty/street and underground cultures on the catwalk.
Spotlights on new generation talents, from the collective runway “Pioneering Designers” featuring names like Futuristiklover, Emre Pakel, Mehmet Emiroglu, Sebnur Gunay and Seydullah Yilmaz, to students’ creative projects supported by Istanbul Moda Academy (IMA).
Among all the collections presented, a special mention goes to some really outstanding ones, such as the new-born Y-Plus, a co-ed collection with a contemporary DNA.
Mehtap Elaidi conquered the audience as usual thanks to its modern classicism and elegance, while collections like Sudi Etuz and Lug Von Siga fired up this fashion week thanks to their extreme glamour.
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