Bora Aksu to Join Helsinki Runway Concept

London-based Turkish designer Bora Aksu will fly the flag for the UK as Runway 2 of Helsinki Airport is transformed into the ultimate fashion catwalk for the latest Match Made in HEL event on 24 May.

Six other top designers from China, Korea, Japan, Sweden, Denmark and Finland will present their collections alongside Aksu, showcasing some of the most innovative designs from around the world.

A graduate of the prestigious Central St Martin’s arts college in London, Aksu’s critically-acclaimed debut show at London Fashion Week in 2003 won him the New Generation Award. Even greater success soon followed, with four consecutive New Generation Awards given to Aksu who remains an integral part of the official London Fashion Week schedule.

Aksu collaborates with some of the world’s most recognisable fashion brands, including Nike, Converse and Topshop, while his pioneering designs have graced seven windows at Selfridges department store in London. Hollywood stars Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley are among those who Aksu has dressed for film junkets.

Ahead of the event, Bora Aksu said: “I am very excited to be part of this project and also super excited to be back in Helsinki”.

The designers, hailed as European and Asian fashion visionaries, have been hand-picked by Tuomas Laitinen, one of Finland’s most influential fashion trendsetters, with their work representing some of the most interesting and inspiring trends emerging from key fashion hubs. With today’s announcement, Aksu joins Arashi Yanagawa from Japan and Shangguan Zhe of China at the event, with the final four designers to be revealed in the coming weeks.

The Match Made in HEL campaign is a joint campaign by Finnair and Finavia, the operator of Helsinki Airport, and aims to raise awareness of Finnair and Helsinki Airport as the best partners for smooth and fast air connections between Asia and Europe.