31 July 2024 |
Dilara Findikoglu gets the heavenly touch. Teaming up with cult label Heaven by Marc Jacobs for a must-have capsule collection steeped in sex and inspired by the Turkish-British designer’s grunge-streaked high-school years, the link-up delivers a delicious edit of ready-to-wear pieces.
Pulling aesthetic elements from Romanticism, Y2K bondage and ‘90s grunge, there are tiny, slashed-up T-shirts strung back together with safety pins, frill-bordered corsets with matching knickers and teensy triangle bikinis that, like the baby tees, are secured by safety pin straps. A black bodice babydoll dress undercut with a white petticoat evokes a coquettish mood while mini bondage hot pants and a form fitting leather jacket with matching lace-up leather trousers usher in something more hardcore. Accessories include oversized buckle belts and smaller studded or chain styles, and a knee-high pair of Marc Jacobs’ best-selling Kiki boots in black. Skirts and sleeves are poofy and feminine, tapping into Findikoglu’s desire to channel a Lolita-like feel.
The collection’s crown jewel is a delicate pink corset printed with a surrealist illustration by Sophie McElligott that depicts an interpretation of what a feast hosted by Marie Antoinette might look like.
Findikoglu comments, “When I was creating this collection, I had my high school years in mind where I was listening to Avril Lavigne, Runaways, Bikini Kill, Girlschool and trying to find my identity wearing metallic blue Marc Jacobs platforms, gothic lolita dresses and band T-shirt. I wanted to create [a] skirt that is similar to my Topshop high school skirt that was so short to wear to school that my teacher called my mum to throw it away, which she eventually did… This small wardrobe really is the dream wardrobe of my teenage self and I want them to be dream pieces of all girls now!”
With Gigi Hadid taking the lead in the sweat-inducing Alana O’herlihy-lensed campaign, it’s enough to get any retired Riot Grrrl singing “Rebel Girl, you are the queen of my world!”
Photography by Alana O’herlihy. Shop here.
