Bora Aksu

DESIGNER NAME: Bora Aksu

BACKGROUND: Originally from Turkey, Bora has been based in London for 15 years. Bora set up his label upon graduation from his MA at Central Saint Martins.

SIGNATURES: “My signature style is based upon finding the balance point between contrasts. It’s romantic with a darker twist.”

IDEAL CLIENT: “She defines beauty in her own way. Tori Amos captures this for me.”

TRADEMARK PIECE: “The cocktail dress.”

THE COLLECTION: “Diane Arbus’ photo of identical twins has always fascinated me but it really struck a chord for this collection. The way the twins are dressed and the energy they give off in this iconic photo has become a real inspiration source.”

CULTURAL INFLUENCES: “I believe fashion constantly interacts with other creative fields and that's the only way it renews itself. Fashion is part of our lives like music, art, literature or architecture so it’s only natural to me that they would all resonate with each other. I have been listening to The Wild Youth recently which has touched my soul and taken me in a certain direction. Also Charles Dana Gibson's illustrations and his muse Evelyn Nesbit are a real influence on my work.”

PLANS FOR 2013: “2012 was a good year so we aim to build on that. My ultimate goal is always to carry on doing what I love doing, designing!”