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.

Redefining Urban Luxury

Luxury can be stated as great comfort and extravagant living. It may well be said that luxury is a basic human need – a way of winning something back against the cruelty of life. And the urge appears to have been there from the beginning. Man has aspired to better things since he first glimpsed the stars. The primitive impulses behind our desire for luxury also nudge us towards a clearer definition of this slippery word. Luxury is often associated with the realm of the senses: voluptuous images, tastes, odours and sensations. Indeed, sensuality is a key component of many luxury brands.

As Coco Chanel once said "luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it's not luxury". Berry submits the idea in another perspective and suggests that a luxury is a refinement on something that already exists. It is not superfluous, but it is substitutable. In other words, any car will get you from A to B, but driving a Bentley provides an additional sensual pleasure. That's the exact start point of my latest project, Urban Suites Istanbul.

Luxury accommodation is a rising trend in Istanbul, one of the biggest urban areas of the ancient world. From the golden ages of Greek and Macedonian era, to Roman and Ottoman period, the city has always reflected spark of the noble and wealthy. In realm of contemporary Istanbul, Urban Suites redefine the sense of luxury accommodation by combining the authentic with the current. It offers a unique Istanbul experience along with urban temptations of the Cihangir district, famous for its gourmet tastes and entertaining night life. Seven of the open-plan luxury suites feel more like loft apartments than standard hotel rooms. All suites are minimum 50 square meters and designed with various accessories and equipment for ultimate pleasure. Gatrium Brand Design team worked on developing a very well defined unique business model for the brand before design phase, and every detail is considered to reflect the ultimate sense of luxury accommodation. 

The VIP opening event will be on November 7th, hosting business executives, lifestyle magazine editors, artists and faces of high society.