AFP/VOGUE – Bora Aksu’s show was a little unexpected. Walking diagonally across the cavernous, sun-dappled central hall of London Scottish House, came a drummer playing a rattling snare solo.
It served as a neat introduction to the various nods to military dress that adorned Aksu’s typically flouncy, feminine gowns, including sashes, medallions, knee-high leather boots, and playful riffs on the classic shako hat.
Aksu’s references, however, were intended as anything but combative, instead presenting a vision of a very different kind of woman warrior – one whose softness and sensitivity can serve as a point of strength in a violent world.
“You don’t need to be tough to fight,” Aksu said after the show. “Innocence can be a force for good in the world too.”
