LFW AW22: Bora Aksu brings demi-couture to London

There is a poetic beauty about how Bora Aksu marries the past with the present, with his modern, demi-couture feminine silhouettes and exquisite craftsmanship. For autumn/winter 2022, showcased during London Fashion Week, Aksu takes inspiration from 14th-century writer, poet and historian Christine de Pizan, often hailed as Europe’s first feminist.

While Storm Eunice descended on London, Aksu filled the stunning 19th-century St James The Less Church in Pimlico with whimsical tulle and taffeta, combining cues from the customs and costume of the early Renaissance with inspiration from the 1990s.

While we all expect flouncy dresses from Aksu, and for AW22, there are many in various shades of blue, cream, and dusky pink featuring lace, floral embellishments, sheer panelling and Peter Pan collars. This season the Turkish designer also championed de Pizan with tailored suit jackets, crisp shirting and statement wool coats.

There was also a playfulness with this collection, with colourful plaids, patterned tights, cosy cardigans, lace-covered boots, berets adorned with brooches, and even a cute gingham dog crafted as a handbag, inspired by de Pizan’s dog as seen in a portrait of the artist.

Blue was also a running thread throughout the collection, tying together the taffeta gowns, cropped jackets and bringing the voluminous and rich Renaissance style to life in the modern world.

Aksu also looked to add sustainability to his AW22 collection by sourcing scraps of old, damaged, and unwanted fabrics to create the statement pieces.

“The discolouration and imperfections are brought to life, displaying beauty that can only be found in the unwanted and lost, reflecting Aksu’s own desire to showcase beauty in all its forms,” explain the show notes.