Özlem Süer's Fashion Show on Kız Kulesı

The Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesı)

Last Saturday I went with Ipek, and her sister-in-law, Esra, to a fashion show, in a unique location. It was held around the base of the Maiden's Tower, in the Bosphorus. There has been a tower on the island since 408 BC, when the Athenian General, Alcibiades, built one to control the movement of Persian ships in the Bosphorus Strait. It has undergone many renovations and different usages since then. The tower was even used in the 1999 James Bond movie, 'The World is Not Enough', before it was opened as a restaurant and café in the year 2000.

Ipek and Esra

The name 'Maiden's Tower' (Kız Kulesı in Turkish) is as result of a legend. It is said that a Byzantine Emperor heard a prophesy that his daughter would be killed by a snake, so he had all the snakes in the area killed, and then isolated her on the island, so she would be safe. Unfortunately, there was a snake hidden in a fruit basket which was delivered to the island, and the prophesy came true.

Today, the tower has a popular restaurant downstairs, and a cafeteria-bar upstairs, with a 360 degree view of the Bosphorus, and the old city, which is especially stunning at night. The fashion show was a one-off special event, to show Turkish fashion designer Özlem Süer's new collection.

The butterflies on top of the tower

To get to the tower, we took a shuttle boat and joined the throng around the base of the tower. There was such a festive air about the place. Girls with wings fluttered above us throughout the event, like enormous butterflies. There were waiters bearing trays of wine and champagne, and others carrying baskets of fruit for all the guests. While we waited for the show to start, three girls on stilts, dressed like eighteenth century courtesans, walked among the crowd, and clowns pulled faces at us.

 These ladies were very entertaining as they posed 

and fluttered their eyelashes

 The clowns were great fun too

Then the show started. Özlem Süer's dresses were gorgeous! The models looked about seven foot tall, then I noticed why. They were wearing massive clogs, it was a miracle that only one tripped up. The show was over all too soon and we gradually made our way back to shore. What a fabulous evening we had. Thank you Ipek and Esra for being such good company, and taking me to such a wonderful event!

Gorgeous dresses on beautiful models

This dress was my favourite

Flowers are this year's must have!

Those clogs made the models look seven feet tall!

Özlem Süer takes a bow to well-deserved applause