About Me
Hi I’m Beyza Mert a menswear fashion graduate from Coventry University
‘Westernised East’ was inspired by my Turkish and British heritage, which also includes elements of sustainability.
The inspiration for this project came from the Turkish culture interior design, ceramics, prints and traditional rugs. Growing up in a Turkish household, I knew the importance of holding onto traditional pieces. However, the traditional pieces would never be used and I always wanted to rework on majority of them ever since I was little; This is where the initial idea of including sustainability in my collection came from.
INSPIRATION
Summer Visits in my hometown, Turkey.
The stimulus behind my project was to create a pro-immigration brand that raises awareness and stands up for immigrant/migrant rights. I am interested in this topic because, as an immigrant, we were limited with the way we could express ourselves and to showcase our origins freely. My family would get bullied because of their cultural clothing choices, so being able to express yourself freely through the choice of clothing is very important to me.
Being Turkish I noticed cultural differences and how these have impacted society and the way people live their lives. The way gender fluidity was perceived in Turkey was very different to the way it was perceived in other countries E.g. the UK. I wanted this positive cultural shift to be carried out in my collection, to break the stereotypes of a traditional macho Turkish man through dress.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Westernised East - Mood board
Muse Inspiration
Line up
Look 1
Look 2
Look 2
Knitwear Cardigan Development
Coat Development
Trouser Development
Shopper Bag Development
Flat Cap/ Veil Development
Sunglasses Development
Shoe Development
Shoe Development
DETAIL
I have upcycled handmade pieces from my mother’s dowry collection to create my own designs.
In the past, women used to put many hand-crafted items such as lace, embroidery and towel edges in their dowry collection. I have gathered pieces from my mother’s dowry collection which included different handmade pieces made by different embroidery techniques, such as filet crochet, cross stitching, needle lace, and knitting. I wanted to add elements of sustainability within my collection, and I believe, upcycling was a great way of introducing sustainability within my work as upcycling changes ordinary garments to serve as unique art pieces. It enables you to add a feeling of connection to the garments, as well as reducing the harmful impacts of fashion production.
“What is the most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is masculine”. – Susan Sontag.
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