Istanbul Fashion Week

Yesterday was my last day in Turkey and boy was it it ever a great way to end a wonderful trip.

My cousin Cindy's husband was able to get us two invites to Günseli Türkay's runway collection. Just the fact of being at IFW was amazing enough. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face. 

Her show, was incredible. I loved everything about her collection. The music, the hair, makeup and designs were a perfect combination for her "Broken Porcelain" collection. 

❝Porcelain symbolizes our dependencies coming from the past. By breaking the porcelain Günseli Türkay shows the avant-garde approach to love. When the porcelain is broken, love is set free from the chains, transforms a more creative form and comes back to us again with more joy and surprise.❞ - IFW book. 

These were some of my favorite pieces from the collection.

She used such unique details to tell the story of broken porcelain. Türkay used porcelain pieces in the hair as well as patterns and designs that were modeled after broken pieces. 

Lace was a predominant feature in her collection which created a romantic feeling. Oversized knits, shirts, blouses and silks highlighted her collection. 

 For my first runway show, this was an absolutely incredible experience. The pieces were so thought out and detailed. The hair and makeup blended perfectly with the concept of Broken Porcelain. 

After the show, Cindy and I were in awe. It was so amazing being apart of fashion week. The ambiance alone was enough to make anyone appreciate fashion. We really wanted to go to another one but only had one invite. Cindy made a call to her husband and 10 minutes later we were back in line to get our passes for the next runway show. 

Mehtap Elaidi was next. People poured in to grab seats but this time there was a little surprise. A gift for each seat. We chose the same area because it was a perfect place for pictures. It was far enough away where you could watch the models walk out, admire the piece, and snap some shots as they walk the catwalk. 

This is a video of the beginning of her show. ( Sorry for the movement).

Her collection was based around the idea that social media networks have been so integrated into our lives, "almost to a point of dominance." With this said, she believes that these networks have started to change the concepts of loneliness and crowdedness.

❝I tried to delve into how these networks work to reconcile the loneliness people feel when in fact, they're used to eliminate this feeling. I tried to convey the idea that while these networks try to create secondary identities within us, it is important to keep on to our primary, original identity.❞ -Mehtap Elaidi

Her pieces were darker, more of an autumn winter feel than Türkay, but overall I liked Türkay's more. I did however, really love the shoes from this collection. 

This pattern below, was a very popular choice of Elaidi's in both black and white and color. In the description of her show she refers to the pattern as trying to show the conflict between loneliness and crowdedness. I think the pattern definitely does that. **It is the same pattern that is used in the beginning of the show. 

Her pieces included different structures of jackets, pants and skirts. Long maxi skirts were a dominant feature along with oversized pieces and patterned leggings.

The whole experience was unforgettable. I was and still am so ecstatic that I had the opportunity and invite into Istanbul Fashion Week. I may not have gotten access into MBFW but IFW is definitely a great place to start. 

I am now back in Germany and will be going to Munich tomorrow. I already miss Turkey and my family so much. It was such a wonderful trip and hopefully I will make it back soon.

For a look at more pictures from IFW: click here.