Inspired by the beauty of an English country garden, Zeynep Kartal’s SS15 collection ‘Efflorescence’ captures the beauty and femininity of her signature style.
Known for her passion to design empowering clothing, Kartal began designing at the tender age of 10 when she attended the local sewing class. Making clothes for her friends and family led her to pursue a career in fashion design by working her way through a wealth of jobs and placements to gain experience.
Now focused on her own label, her products are designed to encourage women to find confidence and a voice through her clothes. Inspired by real beauty, Kartal uses a number of natural materials such as lace, leather and silk, adding handmade embellishment for detailing, whether oversized or simple embroidery, across a number of her collections.
For Efflorescence, she stripped everything back and made sure the clothes were the main focus. Each model had minimal makeup and their hair was naturally straight with a side parting.
Kartal’s popularity comes from designing clothes that real women want to be seen wearing. The collection screams sophistication while adding in a sense of alluring manipulation and referencing the Secret Garden through minor details rounded out the edges of the entire show.
Kartal captures the beauty of nature with a feminine colour palette made up of dusty pinks and greys that lead into vibrant limes to enhance the feeling of transformation and evolution. Mixing these colours with thigh-high splits and dropped backs brought forward the slight provocative side of each item. Meanwhile she manages to keep the delicacy of the Secret Garden alive through the use of floor-skimming fishtail dresses, drawn waists and silk pleated skirts.
A go-to collection for timeless evening or occasion-wear, Zeynep Kartal is definitely a highlight of London Fashion Week’s off-schedule shoes and one to keep an eye on. Not only is she working hard on SS15, but she has also launched ‘Little Ladies’ aimed at adding elegance to children’s-wear.
Discover more about Zeynep Kartal
– Words by Sophie Bishop
– Images from Zeynep Kartal
