Bora Aksu Spring/Summer 2027

Bora Aksu looked to the life and work of 17th-century British portraitist Mary Beale for Spring/Summer 2027, presenting the collection inside the light-filled Gothic Revival setting of St Cyprian’s Church during London Fashion Week. Surrounded by foliage, models moved through the church in a procession of romantic silhouettes, with puff sleeves, lace-trimmed ruffles, broderie anglaise and delicate fabrics creating an almost pastoral atmosphere. Beneath the softness, however, was a distinctly masculine influence, with Aksu drawing on 17th-century menswear through structured shoulders, tailoring, waistcoats, shirting and masculine closures.

Beale’s story provided the collection with its central tension. Widely regarded as Britain’s first professional female painter, she built a successful career at a time when women were excluded from formal academies and guilds, eventually becoming the primary breadwinner for her family. Aksu translated that independence into clothes that constantly play masculinity against femininity. Romantic dresses and intricate lace were contrasted with trench coats, sharper tailoring, bib harnesses, cummerbund-style sashes and structured silhouettes. The final looks moved into deep oxblood, introducing a darker, almost Gothic note with exposed corsetry and yarn-like details creeping across the body, while referencing the rich crimson tones of Beale’s work.

Craftsmanship was equally important. Aksu incorporated Antep embroidery, a centuries-old lace-making tradition from Gaziantep, Turkey, after encountering local women artisans who create intricate patterns by pulling individual threads through silk cloth. Traditionally used for household textiles, the technique can take between three and six months to complete depending on its complexity. For SS27, Aksu brought the craft into fashion for the first time, using handmade lace and embroidery in cream and delicate pastel tones across the collection. The painstaking work creates a striking contrast with the cleaner lines of the tailoring, while adding the sense of history and intimacy that runs throughout the collection.

The result is recognisably Bora Aksu: romantic without being entirely sweet, historical without becoming costume, and delicate with a darker edge underneath. By bringing together Mary Beale’s story, 17th-century menswear and the intricate handwork of Gaziantep, Aksu creates a collection about women finding strength within structures that were never designed for them. SS27 turns that history into something tactile and contemporary, allowing lace, tailoring, embroidery and theatrical volume to tell the story.