Thanks to his recent civil union with his longtime love, Burc Akyol has been mulling a new layer of questions about identity. Like how the self disperses into “we” and—like many, partnered or not—whether committing to one path means “becoming trapped in something you love” and realizing you have to give up other things such as, in this designer’s case, a passion for acting or writing.
With his fourth outing, Akyol said he wanted to celebrate life’s silver linings, by literally seizing on kinks, rips, and frays and playing them up: the silver-beaded rip over the heart on a khaki sweater is the most obvious example in a collection named Open Heart. The designer described it as “giving flaws something special so they become that much more important to you.”
It might also mean focusing on hidden details, known only to the wearer, that can change how a silhouette looks, for example a silky button-down shirt that may be worn the classic way, or buttoned akilter and draped thanks to a secret tab inside. A bustier with a zip detail in front might be worn closed, or open to reveal a contrasting lining. Layering—wearing a body-con black dress over a long shirtdress to create a flared silhouette, or using a blazer to temper the breeziness of jersey—illustrated the tension the designer found between structure and freedom, sexuality and restraint. A series of sleeveless tops included one in actual silver-woven viscose that had a bodysuit strap to keep everything in place. “There’s always the idea of being held, but you can still move,” the designer offered. “It’s all about discovering your own space.”
