COLL 02 SUMMER, “DAVET”

DAVET MEANS INVITATION IN TURKISH, MY MOTHER TONGUE.

THIS SHOW IS AN INVITATION. AN INVITATION TO MY HOME, IN THE 8TH ARRONDISSEMENT OF PARIS, WHERE I AM SHOWING IN THE COURTYARD OF MY BUILDING WHERE I LIVE AND WORK. MY NEIGHBOURS ARE AMONG YOU, SEATED OR HELPING ME DRESS OUR MODELS BACKSTAGE; SOME WILL BE SERVING YOU DRINKS AFTER THE SHOW. IT’S NOT HARD TO GET BACK TO THE CITY AFTER SUMMER WHEN YOU RETURN TO THIS COMMUNITY, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I FEEL I WAS ABLE TO BRING BACK ENOUGH OF THIS FEELING WITH ME TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS, WITH YOU.

THIS FEELING IS SELF-LOVE. IT’S THE REASON WHY I RETURN TO PANTELLERIA EVERY YEAR. BECAUSE I KNOW I WILL BE BACK I CAN TAKE MY TIME THERE. TIME THAT ALLOWS ME TO LOOK BETTER, DRESS BETTER, FEEL BETTER, EAT BETTER, TO BE THE BETTER VERSION OF MYSELF. I HONESTLY LOVE ME BETTER IN SUMMER. I LOVE THAT I CAN BE HALF DRESSED ALL DAY AND OVERDRESSED AT NIGHT BECAUSE I DARE MORE WHEN I AM THERE. I LOVE THAT I CAN BE CINEMATIC, DRAMATIC AND THAT I CAN BE HONEST; YOU CANNOT LIE IN THE NUDE. I AM CLOSER TO EARTH IN SUMMER, I AM CLOSER TO MYSELF. PANTELLERIA IS A VOLCANIC ISLAND AND LAVA STONES ARE NATURAL DIFFUSERS OF SCENTS; JUST AS I SOKE SUMMER IN, THEY SOKE IN THE PERFUMES THAT YOU GIVE THEM. THE LAVA STONE YOU NOW HAVE ON YOUR LAP IS A SMALL TOKEN, A LITTLE OF MY SUMMER TO TAKE HOME WITH YOU. IT WILL DIFFUSE A MIX OF SCENTS THAT REMIND ME OF THE SUN, OF THE EARTH, OF THE SEA.

DAVET IS ALSO AN INVITATION TO KNOW MY ORIGINS BETTER, THIS INVITATION IS FOR YOU AND ME BOTH. MY NOMINATION AS A FINALIST FOR THE FASHION TRUST ARABIA PRIZE HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THIS REKINDLED URGE TO DIG DEEPER IN MY ROOTS. I AM TO COMPETE IN THE GUEST COUNTRY CATEGORY AS A TURKISH DESIGNER. BUT I AM ALSO A FRENCH DESIGNER. I AM INVITING MYSELF TO RECONCILE MY ORIENT AND MY OCCIDENT. I WANT TO JOG LIKE A SULTAN AND BELLY-DANCE WITH WORDS LIKE GODARD.

I AM ALSO INVITING YOU FOR MORE, MORE IN THE FUTURE BUT ALSO MORE NOW! MORE, MORE, MORE. MORE LIKE YARDS AND YARDS OF DUCHESS SATIN. MORE LIKE MOTHER-OF-PEARLS INCRUSTED LEATHER. MORE LIKE SILVER YARNS KNITTED INTO WATER. MORE LIKE DRUMS, TRUMPETS AND PERSIAN CARPETS.

MY SUMMER IS YOUR COLL 02 NOW.

PS: YOU WILL SEE ONE SILHOUETTE WITH BLACK HAIR. IT IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT. I SPOKE WITH ARAB FRIENDS, ARAB WOMEN OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAN NOW. THEY URGED ME TO FORM MY THOUGHTS CONSIDERING THE GLOBAL WORLD CONTEXT AND THE ENERGY CRISIS. THE MIDDLE EAST IS OFTEN THE STAGE OF WESTERN ECONOMICAL THEATRICALS. BUT I DO STAND WITH ALL WOMEN, I ALWAYS WILL. THE BLACK HAIR IS FOR MAHSA AMINI, FOR MY MOTHER, MY SISTERS, MY CARYATIDS.