Istanbul Fashion Week S/S 2011: Womenswear

It may only be three seasons old, but Istanbul Fashion Week has definitely whetted our appetites for more sartorial Turkish delights. Its latest staging saw a gathering of the best of the country's fashion in the city's Itu Taskisla Campus.

Backed by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, the week's fashion schedule featured internationally established names like Bora Aksu, Arzu Kaprol and Dice Kayak, as well as new design talent and lesser-known local names.

A precursor to the international fashion week roster, the current European City of Culture had international press and buyers flock to the city to take in shows, exhibitions and customary trips to the city's Grand Bazaar for inspiration.

With Turkish textile export being a world frontrunner, it came as no surprise that highlights of the week included quality finishes, intricately constructed fabrics and experimental textures. Also interesting was the fact that many ready-to-wear collections featured designs and prints that were heavily inspired by Turkish culture as a whole.

Another thing that stood out was the show schedule, which was executed with military precision. This made it probably the only fashion week in the world where almost every show started on time.

Despite it lacking quite the same finesse as other major fashion weeks, the buzz around the fledgling IFW was alive, making it certainly one to watch.