INTERVIEW| Zeynep Tosun

We caught up with Zeynep Tosun following her AW14 catwalk to get the low down on her designs and inspirations

Hi Zeynep, what are the inspirations behind your AW14 collection?

My AW14 collection is inspired by the idea of seventies silhouettes meets street style and sports luxe design. An example of this is teaming puffy jackets with emphasised shouldered dresses. I wanted to create an industrial feel within the collection, I was inspired by rusty metals so used these tones in my colour palette. Raw edges also gives my collection the industrial look that I wanted to achieve.

Do you have a favourite piece from your collection?

Yes! My favourite piece is definitely the dark printed puffy jacket, I love it!

This is your fourth season at Fashion Scout, how do you feel you have progressed since you  starting showing with us?

I get more and more sure of myself every season so I grow with each collection. I can see my development throughout each of my seasons collections.

What do you think of Fashion Scout as a platform for progression for emerging design talent?

Fashion Scout is great for new designers. It is the best platform in London and I am so grateful to be here!

By Charlotte Muscat (@CharlotteLM9)

Photography by Lepa Georgievska (@GeorgievskaLepa) taken on the fashion forward LumixGM1 (@PanasonicUK)

COLLECTION| Zeynep Tosun AW14

Zeynep Tosun’s AW14 collection ‘Oxidised’ encapsulates modern day street style and effortlessly combines it with classic seventies silhouettes, making for a stunningly chic collection. Sports luxe designs are rigid and streamlined with raw edges which make way for occasional fluidity in the form of wide legged trousers and a-line midi skirts. Each catwalk look is heavy in its contrast, offering both oversized and streamline elements which consistently complement each other with ease. 

There is an explicitly androgynous feel to this collection with key pieces including puffa jackets, turtle neck sweatshirts, oversized coats and high waisted trousers. Tosun pays great attention to detail within her ‘Oxidised’ collection, garments are consistent in their detailing with big belts, statement boxy bags with faux fur trims and block heel boots perfectly accompanying Tosun’s seventies, street style hybrid. Vintage oversized pom-pom hats complete with leather visors feature in every look. Fabrics add a tactile quality to the collection, leather and fur panelling, wool crepe and brocade all feature heavily throughout. 

The ‘Oxidised’ catwalk begins with an earthy colour palette of rusty, autumnal tones before delving into a blue haze with icy hues dominating the second half of the catwalk, strikingly contrasting the collection's warmer colour palette. Tosun’s exploration of lavish textures along with her innovative fusion of styles make for a beautifully luxurious AW14 collection which successfully encompasses classic shape and modern styling. 

Istanbul born Tosun, studied fashion design at the Instituto di Marangoni in Milan before gaining experience working as part of the Alberta Ferretti design team. With a fourth season at Fashion Scout now under Tosun’s belt, it is exciting to see what she will do next.

By Charlotte Muscat (@CharlotteLM9)

Photography by Jamike-Latif (@JamikeLatif)

BACKSTAGE| Zeynep Tosun

Backstage at Zeynep Tosun’s AW14 show, there is an unfamiliar sense of calm. Models mill around while hair and makeup preen and prep them before they hit the catwalk.

Overseeing the hair for the show, Toni & Guy stylist Philip Haug gave us a little insight into the look they created for the models. 

“Well, all the models are going to wear hats, so we’re going to work with texture that goes underneath the hat. The idea is to create texture but not to make it beautiful and wavy, we’re taking it in a grunge direction, to be quite stringy, straight but with a lot of texture. We’re going to push the hair forward so it goes over the face and comes down. It just compliments clothes, hats, everything.”

Make-up paired with the collection will be quiet featuring sheer faces and a bold lip colour. Haunting and dark the look takes inspiration from 90s grunge and gothic looks.

By Lia Stokes (@LiaStokes)

Photographs by Lepa Georgievska (@Georgievskalepa) taken on the fashion forward LumixGM (@PanasonicUK)

INTERVIEW| Zeynep Tosun SS14

The Fashion Scout blog team caught up Zeynep Tosun as she prepared to showcase her third collection with Fashion Scout.

How are you feeling currently?

I’m excited, this is my third time now and my team is great. I’ve got a great DJ supporting my show, an amazing London based stylist called Tamara Cincik, and a collection of gorgeous models. I’m feeling more professional this time, I’m feeling really comfortable.

What was your inspiration for this collection?

This collection is like twenties meeting sports chic. There’s a Turkish embroidery style. It’s all very clean for the summer, you can wear it all day and all night- it’s comfortable. It’s also strong.

Quite a lot of your collections seem to be strong and empowering, is your aim for this season to help women feel empowered again?

Yes, kind of, there is a way that it empowers, but it is more naïve this time. There are flat shoes, comfortable clothing- it is empowering for women and it is masculine but in a pretty and naïve way.

Were there any elements you wanted to use but it didn’t work?

There are always ideas you come up with but can’t use, we select lots and have to choose between them all. This time I’m not using prints, which is new for me. I didn’t need them this time. Things are different this time. 

by Emily Black, @emilyy_black

Photo by Grace Sanchez

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CATWALK| Zeynep Tosun SS14

Zeynep Tosun SS14 from FASHION SCOUT on Vimeo.

COLLECTION| Zeynep Tosun SS14

The air was electric in the Fashion Scout Vestibule for the presentation of Zeynep Tosun. Front row full; the lights went down theatrically and a collective intake from the onlookers signified the start of the show.

Titled “Hidden”, thoughts drift to expeditions in search of hidden treasure. The idea of concealed sexuality dictated androgynous notes. Straight lines hid the frame and heavily draped silks trailed the models; woven sandals finishing the looks. The first outfit left little to be desired; pure white lightweight chiffon panels; wide leg trousers layered with runway skimming ruffles and wide drape belts. Unexpected use of details updated classic statement pieces; the finale wedding dress in a washed out golden palette felt like it belonged to an ethereal Eastern princess, but from behind it was a masterful combination of interwoven belts. Racer backs were flipped to racer fronts that dipped low to reveal the midriff. Bias cut ruffles arced to create volume in blouses that added an element of modesty to the translucent pieces.

The palette went from clean whites through stone to washed out navy’s. A pop of bubblegum pink was a welcome highlight midway, it was also an introduction to the sport luxe element of a perfectly focused, feminine line up.

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By Madeleine Ayers @MadeleineAyers

Photography by Jean-Luc Brouard @JeanLucBrouard

BACKSTAGE| Zeynep Tosun SS14

Backstage at Zeynep Tosun the ambience was hectic. The large team of stylists, make up artists, hair stylists, and assistants were buzzing around desperate to get everything done.

The make-up by Body Shop was very natural. The skin tones were natural matched to those of the models and all had a gorgeous rosy glow to them. This collection plays on the naivety of women and therefore the make-up is highly pretty and pure.

The Tony&Guy team were doing a meticulous job with the hair and it will surely look perfect on the catwalk with Zeynep’s chic and decadent style. 

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Emily Black, Writing Contributor, @emilyy_black

Photography by Grace Sanchez @gracyphotograph