Murat Aytulum, a Turkish designer, works in his studio in Istanbul, Turkey, July 9, 2020. Murat Aytulum, a Turkish designer, highlighted violence against nature in his new collection that he developed at his atelier in Istanbul during the days of lockdown against the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)
ISTANBUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Murat Aytulum, a Turkish designer, highlighted violence against nature in his new collection that he developed at his atelier in Istanbul during the days of lockdown against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I have found enough time to think about the motives of life," Aytulum told Xinhua, referring to his days under lockdown at his apartment in the Cihangir neighborhood.
"I realized that what I see around me is nothing but absolute grey and black with almost no green," he said, gently dressing his model.
"We cannot even see the sky due to the skyscrapers," added Aytulum.
That's why he decided to create his autumn/winter 2020-2021 collection entirely from grey, white, and black colors with sharp and masculine lines.
"I tried to explain the cruelty of people against the environment by dominantly using these cold colors," he said, showing a stone necklace which symbolized a portion of a concrete block.
He used the color khaki on some of the accessories, almost invisible among all the blacks and greys.
Several crop tops with bright gems on, which reflected the small but powerful hope inside the designer about the future, were catching the eyes.
"They symbolize blooming flowers, which are resisting the devastation of the environment," he noted.
Aytulum will put his collection on display at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul, which will be held on Oct. 12-16 on digital platforms for the first time in its history.
But he has several concerns about the digital system.
"Our job is all about touching and sensing the fabric. People also need to touch a piece before buying it," Aytulum said.
"This online system will be a challenge for all the designers I know," he added.
But Aytulum remains optimistic, saying he could appeal to more people through live broadcasts.
More than 40 Turkish designers are expected to attend the upcoming fashion week, hoping to present their collections to an international audience.
The event was previously scheduled for April 13-17, but was cancelled in line with the nationwide measures against the novel coronavirus to protect public health and safety.
Tuana Torun, a young model working for Aytulum, online shopping has gained significant momentum during the pandemic.
"I know many people who have been constantly shopping from several online platforms almost automatically," she told Xinhua while trying on Aytulum's new collection.
"In this sense, the fashion week will definitely change all the rituals known in the industry so far," Torun noted.
