
Mert Serbest
Turkey
ITS Contest 2024
Do I need glitter to be seen?
Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Mevlana, was a 13th-century poet, Dervish, Hanafi faqir, Islamic scholar and Maturidi theologian calling out to humanity with words such as "Come back, no matter who you are", to free humanity from discrimination, guiding it towards universal unity, friendship and tolerance. Such powerful borderless thoughts were the starting point for Turkish designer Mert Serbest, who also looked to the traditional Turkish Yorgan quilt. He has developed a kind of surreal immigrant character, wrapped in a coat made from a Yorgan quilt that opens up to become a blanket. Ready to cross the border between Italy and Slovenia, between Nova Gorica and Gorizia, he takes off his Yorgan coat as an act of friendship, opening it up for the border police as a blanket to rest on, since they have no borders to patrol in 2025.
Mert Serbest
Turkey
ITS Contest 2024
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Do I need glitter to be seen?
Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Mevlana, was a 13th-century poet, Dervish, Hanafi faqir, Islamic scholar and Maturidi theologian calling out to humanity with words such as "Come back, no matter who you are", to free humanity from discrimination, guiding it towards universal unity, friendship and tolerance. Such powerful borderless thoughts were the starting point for Turkish designer Mert Serbest, who also looked to the traditional Turkish Yorgan quilt. He has developed a kind of surreal immigrant character, wrapped in a coat made from a Yorgan quilt that opens up to become a blanket. Ready to cross the border between Italy and Slovenia, between Nova Gorica and Gorizia, he takes off his Yorgan coat as an act of friendship, opening it up for the border police as a blanket to rest on, since they have no borders to patrol in 2025.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Garment inspired by the Semazen (Turkish dervishes) that brings together elements such as denim, traditional quilting, and the Çarşaf (Turkish burqa). Made up of various parts. Knitwear made from reflective yarns combining a burqa (worn over a Sikke, the traditional dervish hat) with a sweater. Denim trousers matched with a quilt featuring an extended tail. The quilt has openings to be worn either as a vest, revealing the traditional quilting on the back, or rolled up and fastened with straps. Footwear consisting of socks slipped into crampons for mountain climbing.
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DESIGNERS' ARTWORKS
Infinity Garden
Inner
Do I need glitter to be seen?
Watch Over
Untitled
Syntrophy
Blur the Boundaries
Eternal Soar
Feminism without Borders
Currency Reborn: Threads of a Greater Culture