Turkish fashion designers on the rise
The wearable art of Bashaques’
There are those people who know, at a young age, what they want in life, and never stray from their path. Başak Cankeş is one of those fortunate people. While studying fashion design in her hometown of Izmir, Cankeş caught the attention of Bora Aksu with one of her projects, which allowed her to travel to the U.K. to intern with the famous designer. Upon graduation, Cankeş honed her skills by working for designers like Günseli Türkay and Gül Ağış.
The real turning point in Cankeş’s career came with photographer and film director Murathan Özbek’s photography exhibit, Once. As she toured the show, Cankeş began to wonder what it would be like if these photographs were to be featured on clothing. First, she combined Özbek’s photographs with her own designs. Cankeş then teamed up with textile artist Fırat Neziroğlu, who used hand weaving to incorporate the photos’ surreal elements into the garments. The result was a collaborative collection, also named Once, which Cankeş premiered at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul with her brand Bashaques’. The collection drew praise from both Turkish and international press, winning Cankeş the Mediterranean Fashion Prize as well as a spot on the YOTA initiative hosted by London’s Centre for Fashion Enterprise – and making her the first Turkish designer to hold either distinction.
For her Fall/Winter 2016 collection, The Door, Cankeş once again collaborated with Fırat Neziroğlu, this time to adapt the works of