Rearrange your chaos

By Neslihan
It's hard to go back to basics once you've tasted the delight of tackiness. Once you've drowned your soul in excess, the excess of bad taste. Those volatile fantasies offering you the escape of firm lines and tasteful reality. It's hard to take it down a notch when you've created little houses of daydreams, daydreams that could be yours but who are about to slip through your fingers like a soft summer breeze during the 1st of July. And you let them slip because it's time to get off your cloud, it's time to leave your safe garden and hit the harsh realness of the streets. Throwing away your ripped trousers, Spice Girls tee and Nike traines. Those items that have been through a lot of impulsive kicks; time to say goodbye. And it's a sad goodbye because it's the end of an era. It feels as if you're burrying a part of yourself but it's not an eternal burial because you can comprimise. Because that's what we do. We promise ourselves to be consistent but we fail once in awhile and that's ok. As long as you have embraced your new motto, the rest will come. It'll take you some time of course but you'll get there. Just give it a chance.

1) Leather bomber jack from Christopher Kane (SS '13 RTW)

2) Photograph from the 'Plain Song' photoshoot (Vogue UK, April '13)

3) Yves Saint Laurent loafers (Net A Porter)

4) Time line-shaped piece of art

5) Bandeaus from H&M (set of two)

6) White Doctor Martens brogues (I WANT!!!)

7) Cruella is the queen of villian fashion

8) The XX- XX album case

9) Maison Martin Margiela (Fw '13 TRW)

Because I will stay a dreamer at heart.

Istanbul Fashion Week

By Neslihan
I know how hard it must be for starting designers in the fashion industry. You're unknown, have great ideas and want recognition for your work. But where and how do you start? That's why 'Fashion Weeks' are a true blessing for upcoming McQueens, Erdems and Katrantzous because we need to look for the next generation of geniuses, who are going to transform our closets according to their own imagination. And I'm always in awe when I discover a new designer, who totally fits my fashion philosophy. Up next: a selection of my personal favourites from the IFW collections I've checked so far.

The sporty one:

Meet Ece Gözen, an Istanbul based designer, who has also participated in many collections, that were already shown during London and Paris Weeks. She isn't new in the industry because she has already worked for Hakaan Yildirim (HAKAAN).  She has her own line since last year and is known for her sporty yet feminine style. This A/W collection has this strong futuristic vibe with strong lines, geometrical shapes and flashy hints of fluorescent yellow.  In love with the first and last dress, could kick some ass in it.

The floaty one:

Nejla Güvenç founded Nej in 2002 and things have been going well ever since she started. She believes in sustainable fashion  because she says that designing is a long journey and she uses natural fibres that correspond to her ecological thinking. Just look at those fabrics, how effortless and soft do they look? It's as if they're about to caress your skin. I really like the see-through aspect, I like how it always creates mystery even though almost everything is revealed. This collection seems like a mix between Maison Martin Margiela X A.F. Vandervorst X Ann Demeulemeester, which is a huge, huge, huge compliment. 

The hipster:

Arzu Kaprol is really well-known among Turkish celebrities but she doesn't only appeal to Turkish fashion lovers but she can also count Monica Belluci as one of her customers. But Studio Kaprol is something new she founded in 2011. It's a platform for young designers, who work on different projects concerning fashion, graphic, music, print, etc under Arzu Kaprol's mentorship. It started with 5 designers but now there are 13 designers. This collection looks really modern and wearable and it also follows every trend we've seen this winter. Think of geometrical shaped necklaces,   lumberjack shirt, lammy coats and classy dandies.

More at:  http://istanbul.mbfashionweek.com/

Inspo: Eastern nights

By Neslihan
First of all, I'm sorry for the lack of posting. It's not gonna get any better, and I'm sorry for that too. I'm drowning in work and when I'm not, I'm relaxing while watching my favourite series in my huge sweater. Or I'm being down on Lana Del Rey (this sounds so wrong, but whtvr) and my Lana Del Rey expressions are getting better, I assure you. I've got tons and tons of selfpics on which I'm being like flawlessly unhappy. I guess I've accomplished my mission.
But there's something I'm stressing about: we got this '100 DAYS' thing at our high school, which basically means we're celebrating the last 100 days of high school. And in order to do so we dress up according to a theme (it's 60's this year) and we put together a show for lower year students. The 60's are a pure blessing for every fashion lover, like seriously but there's so much to pick from. I feel like I'm being overwhelmed with hundreds and hundreds of icons imposing their style on me and I don't know whom to choose. It feels a little frustrating. That's why I've created a collage. I'm trying to get it structured and pick out which style fits me the best.

1)This dress is probably the most amazing thing I've seen lately (here)
2)Elizabeth Taylor in 'Cleopatra' (1963)
3)Chanel Paris-Bombay Pre Fall (2012)
4)Songul Cebaci look from her A/W 2013 show during Istanbul Fashion Week
5)No print screams 60's like a paisley print
6)90's galore with Gwen Stefani, in love with her bindi look
7)Arabic writing: 'Ishq' meaning 'love'
8)Abbie Hoffman quote, a bit overrated maybe but true in a way

Sophia Loren and I have the same haircut (straight bangs). The only thing I'm sure about is using fuck loads of eyeliner and fake eyelashes.

Jane Birkin has got straight bangs too and eventhough I love her style, I think it's a bit too casual for that day.

I'M SORRY FOR THE RAMBLING POST. IT WILL GET BETTER. SOMEDAY.

τὰ πάντα ῥεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει

By Neslihan
skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip
OMGZ U GUYZ IVE GOTZ SO MUCH TO DO
AND SO LIL TIME 2 BLAWG
It's the typical blogger talk, blogs are made for complaining, so what's the fuzz? We're not saving the world, we just trend volatile stuff and hop to the next big thing. Please do read those previous lines with the required irony because I try to trend as little as possible. I try to register the things I like, you know, creating this archive for myself. And if you're willing to read my bs, then I'm more than humbled, dear reader. So yeah, things are quite wild at the moment, I've got a lot of deadlines for school that I have to meet. But I'm keeping calm, since that's only the way I'll make it to the end of this schoolyear. I realize I sound a little negative but that's because of the lack of sleep. Yesterday was my friend's birthday (happy birthday, J! 11th time already!) and we went out to get some drinks. I really had the best time and at a certain moment I wanted to stop time and step out of my body and look at us. Just look and let the moment last a little longer. Don't you love being a teenager? One moment the whole world stops turning and you're just indifferent about the things around you and then life sucks you back into the moment. I feel like I'm still going through those extreme moodswings. And I don't have to justify myself for it. Cuz I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby (I just had to)! I guess what I'm trying to say is that time does go by really fast and things don't stay as they are now. I mean if I compare myself to the person I was 6 years ago, I wouldn't recognize myself. Even if I'd compare myself to the person I was a year ago. I know this sounds a little drastic but a lot can change in a year. The people you hang out with, the way you perceive things, the way you look at some people. Things that dawn, just like that and you see the importance of some things, some poeple in life. I guess I'm having a profound personal moment here. The title remains a mystery until I feel ready to reveal my initial plan with you.

read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read

Meet Andrea Dezso, a Transylvanian-born artist who embroiders the most spectacular scenes. Embroidery sounds really boring and dusty but look what she does with it. The embroidery above is from the 'Lessons from my mother' series. In this series she embroiders a couple of her mother's sayings that are based on superstition or old Transylvanian sayings and legends. This creates sometimes funny and sometimes surrealistically weird effects. This also reminded me of a couple of Turkish sayings (based on superstition):

1)Wash your face in the morning or else the devil will wash it with his pee 

(I ALWAYS wash my face in the morning 'cause ew, no.)

2)Don't cut your nails when it's night

3)Don't go to bed crying because this delights the devil

 4)Wear slippers indoor because the cold floor will leave you infertile

5)Never spoil your last bite because your food will cry after you

Visit her site for her other artworks: http://andreadezso.com

Rather boyish

By Neslihan
Sometimes I look at girls my age and the way they're dressed, looking all very fancy and feminine. Then I look at myself wearing my Doc Martens, old jeans and a loose shirt and I'm thinking it will take me a long time to become elegant. It will take me a long time to eat, walk and talk elegantly. It will take me a very long time to actually become a 'woman'. Maybe I will never entirely succeed (clothing wise) because I choose comfort over glamour and derbies over heels. I can't help it, I feel like I'm creating a sort of uniform, or manly second skin, call it what you want. I feel good in it, I feel like the way I dress totally connects with the way I think and I feel like that's really important: to dress as you are in daily life and not having to play a role. I mean of course we all 'play' a role on a certain level but it's another thing to behave like someone you're not. That would make me really uncomfortable.
I actually think I would do a great job if I were born a guy. I love shirts, brogues, loose blazers and ties! Today I was looking at myself while I put together a manly look and I was in awe. Simple totally works for me, straight to the point and all on the surface. Just the way I try to be. That's why I've created three little collages that embrace my fashion mottoes and unite those with a couple of my male crushes and a little story telling.

Joseph Gordon Levitt is this cute, childishly vulnerable nerd who dresses in an accessibly classy way. He's into brown velvetty fabrics, sophisticated ties and perfectly tailored blazers. That of course accompanied with a slightly smiling cute bearded face. 

See Joseph and I would make an excellent couple: we're equally goofy and nerdy. And we both have this playful naiveté. On top of that we're into refined basics and beautiful fabrics: letting the clothing speak for itself without accessorizing it. Those Paul Smith goodies do that all the same. I'm wearing the shirt and the shoes to grab a lunch at the Soup Lounge. We decide to get a bowl of pumpkin soup and share an apple because we're both incredibly cheesy.

Unusual girls

By Neslihan

There have been times during which the beauty ideal was being chosen by the media. It used to be one type of woman and she'd be hyped until another and even younger girl arrived and stepped up her scene. It was one big cycle of attention until the media and the audience would get sick of her too. She'd be set aside until another leading lady would arrive and it went on and on like that. Icons were being replaced like artistic designers are being replaced in our times but no one cared because times change and so do beauty ideals. That leaves us an amazing amount of powerful and elegant icons who have marked their time with their beauty, ideas and talents. We've put them in this little oakwood box, which we casually open to admire their beautiful pictures and then put them gently back in that box. It seems like we're trying to freeze time and are longing for glamour and pure beauty. Times have changed though because it-girls are being replaced each season instead of each year or after each new movie. And there are also different ideals of beauty now, you can be everyone you want to be and everything is inspiring. Edginess is key and statement of course because the goal is still being memorable. But what I'm wondering is: if someone asked me to sum up some of my 21st (even late 20th) century icons, who would I put in my list? I took some time and these names popped into my mind.
ATTENTION: this is a non-exhaustive list because these are the names that popped into my mind during this blog post, you can't imagine the length of the list if I actually take the time to think about some of my other feminine heroes.
1) Alek Wek
2) Chloe Sevigny
3) Zosia Mamet
4) Florence Welch
5) Robyn
6) Kristen McMenamy
7) Rossy de Palma
8) Lara Stone
9) Lou Doillon

To Walden Pond, please

By Neslihan

Hi y'all, you may or may not know that I've got to work on two research competences for school. You can see it as two major projects that have to be ready this May. They include both English and Latin literature. Our subject for the English project is about utopias and dystopias and we decided to read Orwell's '1984' (dystopic) and Thoreau's 'Walden' (utopic). We're planning on comparing the two books and we're going to see whether Thoreau's utopia is realistic but also whether Orwell's dark predictions have come true. Reading 'Walden' isn't exactly the easiest thing I've done so far -it has uncountable references to the antique literature and it's an amazing historical-philosophical work- but I feel like I'm getting there.
It may be ancient in terms of setting (first published in 1854, hellooo) but it's crazy how some aspects I've read about so far are still scarily relevant. And how we are still trying to get back to the essence of things once in awhile. Whether it's by actually going on an adventurous trip or whether it's by daydreaming about the same trip. We're still trying to figure out 'the meaning of life', maybe not as intense as Thoreau did in 1845-1847 but we're still trying to break through the ordinary simplicity daily life offers us. And at the same time we're trying to get back to basics. I like how contradictory people are. And how contradictory my own views are. I try to let them crash and this provides pure inspiration. That's why it happens so frequently in my mind and as a natural result on this blog. Look at the image above: a picture from the 'Double Accountancy' shoot from 'Elle Holland' October 2012. I'm pairing up 'Elle' and 'Walden'. I mean 'Elle' of all the things in the world. We're talking major commerce here, Thoreau's main cause in leaving civilized life and living in his selfmade cabin near Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts. Not only did he generally criticize American society but he also had some opinions about fashion and clothing as a basic.

"Our outside and often thin and fanciful clothes are our epidermis or false skin, which partakes not of our life, and may be stripped off here and there without fatal injury; our thicker garments, constantly worn, are our cellular integument, or cortex, but our shirts are our true bark, which cannot be removed without girdling and so destroying the man." -From 'Walden' (Economy: Clothing)

The following quote is so up to date and accurate, I just cannot explain how much I love this one!

"We worship not the Graces, nor the Parcae, but Fashion. She spins and weaves and cuts with full authority. The head monkey in Paris puts on a traveller's cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same." -From 'Walden' (Economy: Clothing) 

I just love how 'Fashion' is portrayed as this  tyrannical person who doesn't take 'no' for an answer and whom you cannot argue with. You can kind of feel the rhythm as you're reading the words, the speed with which those actions are happening.

And this guy just pictures that conscious free spirit feeling I had in mind. You know that kind of guy that pops a beer and starts to talk about Cuba's crisis in 1962, while he casually strokes his gross but lovely beard. And after his stay at a vague
acquaintance's place, he takes his bagpack, gets in his fancy sneakers and continues his route to the
unknown. But he feels perfectly fine doing so because he's accompanied by a wonderful track.

Sources: Elle Holland, October 2012
               Walden
Pictures found here.