Models covered in fake blood stepped over ‘bodies’ on the runway in a gruesome show at Istanbul Fashion Week on Thursday evening.
The Bashaques catwalk show, presented by Mercedes-Benz, had a gory theme and looked more like a crime scene than a high fashion spectacle.
The brand describes itself as ‘wearable art’ and dressed its models accordingly, in bright red clothes to match the fake blood that covered their skin.
The collection is the brainchild of designer Başak Cankeş, a former student at Central Saint Martins college in London, who says she wants women to be ‘inspired’ by her artworks.
Models at the Bashaques show presented by Mercedes-Benz were covered in fake blood at Istanbul Fashion Week on Thursday
A model in a nude bodysuit looked almost completely naked, and seemed to be the perpetrator of the gory massacre
The Turkish brand took to the runway at the Zorlu center in Istanbul this week, leaving fashionistas in the audience eagerly snapping pictures of the frightening scenes.
At one point in show a model wore a nude body suit to give the illusion of being completely naked as she appeared under the flashing lights of the cameras.
The model looked around helplessly as sea of fake dead bodies who were all covered in blood swamped the catwalk.
The blood appeared to be made from string and cleverly stuck onto the models’ skin to look as gory and authentic as possible.
Başak Cankeş says her designs are meant to be ‘wearable art’ and her show was certainly a performance, with models acting like bodies draped all over the catwalk
The models were all dressed in the same shade of bright red but wore different cuts of fabric, with some wearing evening dresses and others wearing trousers with slits in the thighs
At one point the near nude model seemed to be waving a fake knife, hinting she was guilty of massacring the other models.
The models wore bright red clothing in a variety of cuts, including high-waisted trousers and metallic A-line skirts, which appear to have been created just for Fashion Week.
One model seemed to be completely naked save for some strategically-placed fake blood to cover her breasts and privates.
As the figures walked down the runway they appeared to be dropping down dead in front of the crowds as the fake massacre escalated.
One model looked completely nude as she moved around the catwalk, but her modesty was covered with strategically placed fake blood
The fake blood seemed to be red thread that was stuck to the models’ skin, but looked very realistic under the bright camera lights
The characters all seemed to be clutching fake hearts in their hands and close to their chests as they took part in the sinister spectacle.
In the end only the model in the nude body suit stayed alive as the rest of the models lay crowded on the floor in a sea of red.
Bashaques is designed by Turkish fashion designer Başak Cankeş, who trained at Central Saint Martins in London and at university in her native Turkey.
Its website describes the clothes as ‘wearable art’ that is meant to ‘inspire’ women.
Away from the gory scenes of the catwalk this model looked like she was having fun offstage as she pulled a rather flexible pose for the waiting cameras
There appeared to be few survivors of the massacre story, with this blonde model appearing at the end wearing what seemed to be a nightdress covered in blood
In the end the stage was littered with fake bodies covered in the fake blood as the audience eagerly snapped pictures on their phones
It says: ‘The founder and lead designer of Bashaques followed her passion and studied fashion design to create her own dream and build an inspiring future. By benefiting from her experiences with widely known fashion designers like Bora Aksu in United Kingdom, she discovered her talent in painting and pattern design.
‘This inner discovery set a milestone in her career and motivated her to create a brand offering wearable art and inspire women with an artistic point of view.
‘Başak finds her inspiration in art, different cultures and travelling.’
She also worked with London designer Bora Aksu and runs a store in Alaçatı on the West Coast of Turkey, which she says is popular with local surfers.