Maverick fashion designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu has just released her latest collection. This latest strips her notorious maximalist and heavily thematic style back to basics with swimwear. “I just want to make people feel amazing—and I want to feel amazing. I don’t want any extra clothing, I just want body, mind, and soul,” she says.
The collection centers feeling over thinking. “We were looking for ways to feel lighter and feel more fun. . . usually I look at politics and religion, these heavy subjects and issues. This time, after the heaviness of COVID, I don’t want to hear any of that. I want to strip back and be more minimal,” she says.
Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s punk-goth aesthetic
Many know Fındıkoğlu for her bold exploration of heavy themes, infused with a punk-goth aesthetic. She draws from her fascination with magic and the occult, weaved together with 80s subcultures and a passion for heavy metal.
Dilara Findikoglu Fall/Winter 2020
Fındıkoğlu first made a name for herself when she staged a guerrilla fashion show at Central St. Martins. The audacious show celebrated all the students who hadn’t made the official press presentation. This rebellion won Fındıkoğlu international acclaim in the fashion world.
Adorned with historical references and social commentary, her playful, norm-defying designs have since taken root all over the world. Bella Hadid, Lady Gaga, Madonna and FKA Twigs have all worn Fındıkoğlu’s clothes.
Dilara Fındıkoğlu draws on Islamic occult
Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Fındıkoğlu never felt at home in her culture. Growing up, she looked to heavy metal, fantasy and horror as a way of escaping. Her thirst for discovering new things led her down deep Internet dives, uncovering the magic and alchemy that inspire her today.
She first became interested in the occult through Islamic mythology: “In Islam, they tell you about an unknown world, the world of spirits – they’re called jinn in Arabic – and these creatures that live in other dimensions. I was scared of this world but, at the same time, felt close to it,” she says.
Fındıkoğlu began to explore these shadow worlds aesthetically when she enrolled at the world-renowned Central St Martins, moving from Turkey to London.
Dilara Findikoglu for Another Man 26
Her biggest hero? Queen Elizabeth I. “Being such a badass woman in the 16th century, she refused to get married; she said she didn’t need a king to be the queen. That was quite a big move for her time,” she says.
Dilara Fındıkoğlu: resort 2022 collection
Fındıkoğlu’s latest swimwear release focuses on celebrating femininity and bringing out the beauty in the wearer. After the lockdown period of being hidden away, she wants people to blossom again: “We have been indoors. We couldn’t work out. I think everybody is beautiful and I want to show it,” she says.
Shot by Academy-award winning director Yorgos Lanthimos, known for films such as The Lobster and The Favourite, Fındıkoğlu has a clear aim for her collection: “I want people to have fun and feel good. That’s why this collection and project is really important for me; it’s a completely new thing for me, a breath of fresh air.”
Check out Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s shop.
