Purgatorio by Cigdem Akın

Purgatorio Collection, designed by Cigdem Akın is the second episode of her trilogy, which will be presented on MBFW Istanbul on March 13th, 2014. Her whole concept is inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, and her journey continues with purgatory, somewhere between hell and heaven.

Love, a theme throughout the Divine Comedy, is particularly important for the framing of the sin on the Mountain of Purgatory. While the love that flows from God is pure, it can become sinful as it flows through humanity. Souls arrive escorted by an angel, Dante explains that this reference to Israel leaving Egypt refers both to the redemption of Christ and to the conversion of the soul from the sorrow and misery of sin to the state of grace. Appropriately, therefore, it is Easter Sunday when Dante and Virgil arrive. 

Purgatorio is notable for demonstrating the medieval knowledge of a spherical Earth. During the poem, Dante discusses the different stars visible in the southern hemisphere, the altered position of the sun, and the various timezones of the Earth. At this stage it is, Dante says, sunset at Jerusalem, midnight on the River Ganges, and sunrise in Purgatory. All pieces of Akın's Purgatorio collection reflects heavy fabrics supported with hand-made vignettes contrasted by contemporary accessories.

Purgatorio by Cigdem Akın will debut in MBFW Istanbul at Antrepo 3 on March 13th, 2014.