Bora Aksu fuk@lfw s/s 08

After Bora's show had ended, I felt like I'd has a visual bath - feeling half awake yet totally refreshed. For his tenth London Fashion Week show storyteller Bora delved into the world of the nomadic bride - imagine a young woman walking across fields and through forests clad in crafted beauty. That's what we have here. The models entered the catwalk via a black and white net. The colour palette is subdued for summer - the basis is black and grey which is lifted by deep red, blue, mustard yellow and deep greens.

Handcrafting is at the centre of Bora's work and as ever we are treated to some amazing leather work in waistcoats, dresses and jackets. His waistcoats have a medieval feel and work over trousers as well as accompanied by pleated skirts. Concertina pleats and knitwear dominate punctuated by plaited fabrics and heavy beading. Bora told us he's been experimenting with knits in his studio and this collection features everything from light gauze knits to crochet. He plays with shape and texture and this season in particular it looks like he has had a lot of fun plaiting fabrics, twisting and turning shapes so that they coil the body. Again Bora has collaborated with Converse and this season he's taking his needles to the trainers and created some brilliant knitted versions.

www.bora-aksu.com

Words: Marian Buckley
Photos: Ian Gillett