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About
Freak Is The New Black
Freakisthenewblack is a dynamic, print focused womenswear brand that was created
in 2009. Inspired mainly by the visual art movement known as Pop Art, fashion
designer Melis Acar founded the label. The initial pieces was born out of the quest
to find the perfect tshirt; tshirts which were not only unique and fun but also made
from quality fabrics and special prints. With that in mind the approach has been
putting love & energy in every piece of the collections whilst giving all the designs a
hip & funky twist.
Later on what started with only tshirts evolved into playful dresses, tailored jackets
and pants accompanied by flirty skirts and shorts. The brand now offers a complete
wardrobe solution for the stylish girl, who is a beloved lover of arts, has a keen eye
on designer fashion and who values and appreciates culture and quality.
The real philosophy behind the label, as it can also be seen looking at its name,
is that a litte bit of weirdness is good! Our inspiration falls out of the realms of
predefined stereotypes and the vast cliched models that determine our behaviour. It
is the individual eccentricity and uniqueness that is what we cherish continously as
our fuelling power.
The main resource is the myths of everyday life which surface in consumer culture
and surround us practically everywhere. This is why we look back to the Pop Art
movement because it is much rather a collective term for artistic phenomena which
is associated with various superficial aspects of society. Our designs are cheerful,
vibrant, and ironic with an elevated streetwear aesthetic for young women.
Prints make a considerable amount of Freakisthenewblack because it is one of
the main elements of our expression. Each print is innovative, well thought of and
designed with the latest techniques. The dyes and materials we use for our prints are
ecologically inert, meaning they are human & nature friendly and does not contain
harmful components.
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About
Melis Acar
Born in 1982, Melis Acar is the grand daughter of the famous painter Mehmet
Ruhi Arel, who was one of the first painters to be sent to Paris of the early Turkish
Republic period, with other names such as Ibrahim Çallı and Hikmet Onat.
Being raised in a family where there was plenty of arts and culture around, she
begun drawing at the young age of four. By the age of nine she won an award
in a nationwide contest held by Sumerbank and got the 3rd best painting prize
in Turkey.
Throughout her education she always continued to draw and as her drawings
got better she started doing stylized illustrations of the human body and fashion
skteches. This got the attention of Yasar Çallı and she had the oppurtunity to
have lessons from him for several years.
Although she always wanted to do fashion design, she decided to study business
administration to get an understanding of the industry. After she graduated from
Baskent Univesity, she went on to pursue her real dream to Italy. In Milan, she
studied fashion and textile design at Istituto Europeo di Design for 3 years. While
she was still studying, a project she had done got the attention of a professor,
who has also been working for various italian fashion brands at the same time.
So she had the chance to work as his assistant for a year on different projects.
Later on, after she had given her thesis project, she decided to do her masters on
pattern cutting and fitting at the storical Istituto Secoli for another year. Following
her studies she founded the label Freak Is The New Black in 2009 and since then
the brand has been growing rapidly.
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photographer OSMAN ÖZEL
model ANNA K / NEW MODELS
make-up UFUK CELEP
hair HARUN ATEŞ
photo assistant ZÜBEYR TOPRAK
studio CLOSE UP
Pia Organizasyon
Teşvikiye Mah. Şakayık Sokak
Bağdat Apartmanı No:12 Kat:1 Daire:3
Nişantaşı / İstanbul
www.opia.com.tr
press office
