LFW AW25: Bora Aksu

Bora Aksu’s AW25 collection was a masterclass in contrasts—an intricate balancing act between the beautiful and the macabre, the restrained and the untamed. This season, Aksu delved into the enigmatic life and tragic death of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, a woman whose haunting beauty masked a life of isolation and rebellion. The result was a collection that reimagined Elisabeth’s world with a contemporary edge, resulting in a show that felt both regal and raw.

Aksu’s recent pilgrimage to Vienna allowed him to step beyond the official, heavily stylised portraits of the Empress and immerse himself in the intimate details of her life. Exploring her preserved garments, personal sketches, and letters, he uncovered a woman trapped within the gilded cage of imperial duty. This deep dive into her world led Aksu to contrast the polished, ceremonial grandeur of the Austrian court with the expressive, unfiltered intensity of Egon Schiele’s art.

The runway reflected this tension: structured jackets and sharply tailored overcoats—modern interpretations of imperial regalia—were juxtaposed with fluid silhouettes and deconstructed draping reminiscent of Schiele’s raw, exaggerated forms. Delicate lace, diaphanous layers, and high collars hinted at Elisabeth’s carefully cultivated image, while sheer fabrics, asymmetry, and undone hems introduced a more rebellious, almost disheveled energy. A palette of soft whites and creams evoked the restrained elegance of the era, before being slashed with deep reds, purples, and refined blues—echoes of both Schiele’s provocative brushstrokes and the darker undercurrents of Elisabeth’s life.

Aksu’s ability to fuse historical storytelling with modern sensibilities made for a collection that felt timeless yet strikingly relevant. The interplay of decadence and disorder, tradition and subversion, turned the runway into a space where beauty and tragedy could effortlessly coexist. With this offering, Aksu continues to push fashion beyond aesthetics, transforming it into a dialogue between past and present—one that lingered long after the final looks had disappeared backstage.