After closing the fifth night of VFW with her incredible and extensive Fall/Winter 2014 collection, Turkish designer Ipek Tohumcu sat down with NICHE for an exclusive interview. Immediately she put us at ease with her calm and friendly demeanor, and was very gracious when we complimented her collection. Ipek, despite a long week of travel, run-throughs and rehearsals, and sewing, was more than happy to discuss with us several things, from her inspiration to her future plans, and so much more.
Coming from a long line of silk producers, design and fabrics have always been in Ipek’s blood. Originally graduating with a BA and then an MBA from Bogazici University in Turkey, Ipek had intended on working for the family business. When she soon discovered that she had other passions, she moved to the United States and enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York to study fashion design. Ipek has spent a lot of time in the classroom throughout her life, not only as a student, but also as a teacher of both fashion design and architectural design.
So when we asked the big question: “What was your inspiration for your collection?” it was no surprise to hear that Ipek could not just name one thing as the sole inspiration. She instead claimed to draw inspiration from all aspects of her own life, which was truly reflected in her incredibly broad range of looks in this season’s collection. Featuring leather jackets, thick materials, hand painted silk, and gorgeous gowns, it was obvious to the audience that Ipek Tohumcu knows how to dress a woman’s body. This was something she emphasized further in her interview, where she stated that she “designs for women” and “does not limit herself” when it comes to finding inspiration for her collections. Ipek continued by describing her collections as more of an “interpretation of different decades in a modern way,” rather than a collection that simply summarizes one period or decade in time. When asked how the two neon gowns that closed her show fit in to the collection, Ipek smiled and said: “They’re not part of the collection, that was me being cheeky.”
Ipek’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection at Vancouver Fashion Week showcased her broad range of skills as a designer and patternmaker, but surprisingly, when asked how long it took to create her large collection, Ipek answered “too little.” She went on to explain that when you have the vision in mind, the rest comes naturally – and quickly. Ipek said that when you know what you want, you want to bring it to life as soon as possible.
So what can we expect from Ipek in the future? Ipek was candid with us, initially stating “I don’t know” with a laugh. The longer we chatted, however, the more she revealed just how many ideas she had going on in her mind. She said she would love to work more with different prints on silk, a reflection of her family’s background in the industry. Ipek also said she would love to focus more on the educational aspect of fashion when she returns to Turkey. Ipek views teaching as a two-way street: while she enjoys sharing her knowledge of design and colour combinations in particular, she also said how much she loves learning and drawing inspiration from others.
With such a strong collection during her second visit to Vancouver Fashion Week, we are so excited to see what the future holds for Ipek Tohumcu!
Interviews were conducted by Josie Saldat and Rachel Mack – NICHE magazine
Photos by Mario Szabo
