LONDON — Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s latest collaboration with Heaven by Marc Jacobs is a fitting one.
The Turkish British designer got to reencounter her teenage years and to design a capsule collection that encompasses her favorite subjects of romanticism, grunge and Y2K, while it’s also loosely linked to the theme of religion, something the designer loves to dissect in her own collections.
“A part of me is still a teenager. I feel like the teenage years that I had have really stayed with me and in my aesthetic, partially,” Fındıkoğlu said in an interview.
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She was contacted two years ago by Heaven by Marc Jacobs’ creative director Ava Nirui to collaborate on the collection, which is modeled by Gigi Hadid.
There are slashed T-shirts held together by safety pins; large buckle belts and smaller studded or chain styles; bondage shorts and pants; bikini tops and bottoms that use safety pins instead of strings; a classic black leather jacket; a corseted minidress; a red bodice top with frilly underwear; a frailed miniskirt, and more.
The pieces were a gesture to Fındıkoğlu’s favorite musicians and rock bands growing up: Avril Lavigne, Runaways, Bikini Kill and Girlschool.
When the designer was a teenager she owned a pair of metallic blue Marc Jacobs platforms with a black bow on them and she would often visit the Marc Jacobs store in Istanbul in awe. She made sure to recreate a pair for the collaboration with metal buckles.
This collection is much more than a means of self expression for Fındıkoğlu, who described her younger self as a “gothic Lolita.”
“I’m really happy that this collection is at a lower price point than my usual products because the kids can have access to it and be part of the Dilara world,” she said.
The designer has a dedicated Gen Z fan base online who champion and follow her every move.
“I love them. They really understand how much of myself I put into the work. I make cute clothes, but I give them a community feeling, I’m building a world within the brand,” Fındıkoğlu said.
She’s rethinking her fashion show formats, too. She’s skipping London Fashion Week this season and is instead planning to host an “interesting event in Paris,” she said, without giving too much away.
Fındıkoğlu revealed that she wants to present one show a year and to focus the rest of the time on events and collaborations.
Last year she hosted a Versailles-themed Halloween party and plans to put another celebration together this year for the spooky season.
“As a young designer it’s my responsibility to be as innovative as I can be. Even though I love doing shows, I was thinking maybe I can wait a little bit longer and get people more excited by bringing out other ideas,” Fındıkoğlu said.
