Dante Does Istanbul: Dilara Findikoglu Creates Her Own Wonderland

Today I've been talking Turkey, with a visit to Istanbul INN London, a promotional event to raise awareness of the city's cultural output, from food and drink to architecture and art. But the section that was strongest was definitely the fashion, where hot new designers showed that Istanbul deserves to be noticed on the international scene.

[Images taken at Victoria House, London].

A real mixture of fabrics, with a sports luxe feel, clashed with historical prints.

Inspired by Dante's Inferno, Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu has created a totally unique and unforgettable collection which reminded me slightly of Mary Katrantzou (in her use of intense prints) and Alexander McQueen (in the careful attention to corporeality and also in using antique religious drawings as a basis). 

 There's something for every type of dresser - from the daring harness wearer to the shift dress lover.

And I still can't get enough of those prints...

The collection is known as 'Dante's Islamic Inferno', due to the repeated references to Islamic architecture, such as beautiful glass or tile patterns, but also lettering in the prints. Other recurring motifs are as diverse as skulls, interlocking hands and palm trees, as well as the occasional anatomical heart and a miniature Medusa painting. 

 You just know this collection would look amazing dressed up or down. Or just styled in a photo shoot in an abandoned warehouse.

Dilara studied fashion at Central St. Martins College in London and has also been a stylist and fashion editor for several magazines, so she's got a strong creative background, but she's also incredibly young (yep, just to make you feel like an underachiever!). Aside from Dante Aligheri, she says that she's inspired by 'parapsychology', 'Katie Shillingford' (of Dazed & Confused - one of my hair icons!) and 'flowers'.

The exhibition space was set up in this sort of homely-cum-creepy atmosphere, with armchairs and books but with clothes strung up like pieces of meat. I loved the contrasts.

My only gripe? I CAN'T FIND WHERE TO BUY THIS AMAZING STUFF. Seriously, I'm being tortured here. If you want to see more of Dilara's work, check out her Cargo Collective account, but otherwise you'll have to hold tight and wait for it to go on sale somewhere soon. I'm crossing my fingers for a pop-up shop...