27 February 2011 - 20:30

As he put the finishing touches to his first collection for Milan Fashion Week, Turkish-born Erkan Coruh spoke to AFP about finding his inspiration from Islamic dresses and his native Istanbul. "Everything I make is influenced by my childhood, by life in Istanbul, where East and West meet," 34-year-old Coruh said in an interview in a cold, echoing warehouse on the outskirts of Italy's fashion capital ahead of his debut today...

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - As he put the finishing touches to his first collection for Milan Fashion Week, Turkish-born Erkan Coruh spoke to AFP about finding his inspiration from Islamic dresses and his native Istanbul. "Everything I make is influenced by my childhood, by life in Istanbul, where East and West meet," 34-year-old Coruh said in an interview in a cold, echoing warehouse on the outskirts of Italy's fashion capital ahead of his debut today.

My inspiration also comes from God and I try to reflect that light in my creations. Like Caravaggio, I want to paint a picture of a dark world, but with illumination from above," he said, as models began arriving for try-ons. Bending over his workbench, Coruh teased human hair into tiny topknot-buttons for the jackets and dresses he is rushing to finish. "I always use human hair in my designs, wound up into buttons or sprouting from the hems of dresses. It captures the spirit of the warrior woman, the women who have protected me on my journey so far," he said.

Born and raised in Istanbul, Coruh is one of a handful of new designers presenting collections in Milan this year as part of the city's initiative to celebrate some of the best upcoming creators. The Turkish designer made his name internationally in 2010 with a controversial collection.

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