Ülkühan Akgül

What holds the weight? The body, the garment, or the gaze that defines them? ULKUHANBATUHAN introduces their co-curation titled Draagvlak, as part of the Reflections on Fashion exhibition at @kunstmuseum.nl Exhibition Curator: @madeliefhohe Co-curators: @ulkuhan @batuhandemir__ @ulkuhanbatuhan Exhibition Design: @maartenspruyt Photo Credits: [In the image: incomplete robe à la française overdress (Unknown), from the archive of Kunstmuseum Den Haag, circa 1760] Creative Direction: @ulkuhan @batuhandemir__ @ulkuhanbatuhan Photography: @dionbal Production: @hicyilmazkaan Photography Assistants: @tavarich_ @radek.piskorz With the generous support of the museum’s fashion department. Honoured to contribute to the celebration of the 75-year anniversary of Kunstmuseum Den Haag’s fashion collection. On view 4th of July.

TICKETS SEXODUS ARE FOR SALE. May 27 & 28 (premiere) at @o.festival.rotterdam . Go to theaterutrecht.nl/sexodus for more info & tickets. In SEXODUS, we see an actress at the threshold of her forties, who knows that she is expected to keep looking like a twenty-four-year-old until her sixties. Naomi Velissariou embodies a storm of female archetypes. She throws herself into a revenge fantasy against a global system fueled by women’s insecurities, in the hope of catching a glimpse of what lies beyond. Text: Naomi Velissariou & Bregje Hofstede, directing: Nicole Beutler - scenography, sound, light & video: URLAND @marijn_alexander @jimizoet - costume design: Ülkühan Akgül. CREDITS TEASER: Videography: @davids.danoss Video Art Direction: @ulkuhan DOP: @ververwant Audio: @hyunji__jung Performer & Talent: @naomivelissariou Campaign Marketer: @naomixavi Branding & Strategy: @kelly.lecoq Styling Assistant: @batuhandemir__ Hair & Make-up Artist: @marlyvandenbosch HMU Assistant: @georgiahart.mua Manicurist: @danielsmedeman All-round Assitant: @aikeiiiiiii BTS:@xmtxv & @romy.sterken Technician:@itscerian SEXODUS is a production by Theater Utrecht, URLAND and Nicole Beutler Projects sharing = caring

Proud to have contributed to SEXODUS, a powerful performance exploring the pressure on women to remain eternally youthful in a system fueled by insecurity. In SEXODUS, we meet an actress standing at the threshold of her forties, fully aware that the industry expects her to keep looking twenty-four well into her sixties. Naomi Velissariou embodies a storm of female archetypes, launching herself into a revenge fantasy against a global system built on women’s insecurities, searching for a glimpse of what might exist beyond it. For this production, I was responsible for costume design and art direction, shaping the visual language of the piece together with an incredible team. Text: @naomivelissariou & @bregjehofstede 
Direction: @nicolebeutlerprojects Costume design & Art Direction: @ulkuhan 
Scenography, sound, light & video: @performancecollectiefurland Images: Performer & Talent: @naomivelissariou Costume and Art direction: @ulkuhan Campaign Marketer: @naomixavi Branding & Strategy: @kelly.lecoq Producer: @hicyilmazkaan Photography: @dionbal Photography Assistant: @tavarich_ Styling Assistant: @batuhandemir__ Hair & Make-up Artist: @marlyvandenbosch HMU Assistant: @georgiahart.mua Manicurist: @danielsmedeman All-round Assitant: @aikeiiiiiii BTS: @xmtxv & @romy.sterken Technician: Mart Hielema

AS LONG AS I LIVE, I WILL BE AGING. MY ONLY OTHER OPTION IS TO DIE. ++++++++++ In SEXODUS, we see an actress at the threshold of her forties. She knows that in the Western world, she is expected to keep looking like a twenty-four-year-old until she’s far into her sixties. So, she adapts. Again. And again. Her body is marked by centuries of aesthetic oppression. What starts as compliance turns into resistance. In an exhilarating revenge fantasy, she takes the weapons of the arts, the entertainment industry and social media into her own hands. Through fashion, live video and music, she challenges a global system that thrives on female insecurity, hoping to get a glimpse of what lies beyond. SEXODUS offers an honest look into the female mind and shows how a woman’s body is being shaped, used and reclaimed. “How I get through the next 90 minutes defines who I’m going to be for the rest of my life.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ text: @naomivelissariou & @bregjehofstede directing: @nicole_beutler_amsterdam scenography, sound, light & video: @performancecollectiefurland @marijn_alexander @jimizoet costume design: @ulkuhan assistants to Nicole and Naomi: @dankokissdora and @lindsydias ++++++++++++++++++++Campaign Art Direction & Costume Design: Ülkühan Akgül @ulkuhan Performer & Talent: Naomi Velissariou @naomivelissariou Campaign Marketer: Naomi Lantveld @naomixavi Branding & Strategy: Kelly de Haan @kelly.lecoq Producer: Kaan Hiçyılmaz @hicyilmazkaan Photography: Dion Bal @dionbal Photography Assistant: Eugene Berkovski @tavarich_ Styling Assistant: Batuhan Demir @batuhandemir__ Hair & Make-up Artist: Marly van den Bosch @marlyvandenbosch HMU Assistant: Georgia Hart @georgiahart.mua Manicurist: Daniel Smedeman @danielsmedeman @glazednails_official All-round Assitant: Isabell Kristiansen @aikeiiiiiii BTS: Martina Vojteková & Romy Sterken @xmtxv & @romy.sterken Technician: Mart Hielema

🌄🌄 Mekhi

@yousefgnaoui wearing the euro headpiece - Iceland - styled by @benjaminaerts_

Grammy nominated artist @destinconrad wearing yours truly for @numero_netherlands EP, creative direction & styling: Josephine Herfst @j.herfst @eeagency Concept: Josephine Herfst & Rogier [email protected] @rogieralexander Photography: Rogier Alexander @rogieralexander Producer: Vera de Bode @veradebode Art direction: Pleun van Baren @juneworldwide Makeup: Carmelita Bianca @carmelitasart - @eeagency Hair: Yasmin Arion @yazzbratzz Videographer & Polaroids: Yomi Rabiu @yo.yomi Colour grading video: Yomi Rabiu @yo.yomi & Denzel Möhlmann @dnzl.dop Styling assistant: Wolfie Sandy @wolfiesandy Dalmatian: Lizzy the Dalmatian @lizzy.the.dalmatian Location: Sistersjanssen in Hotel De L’Europe @sistersjanssen @deleuropeams Editor: Timi Letonja @timiletonja Interview: Veronica Tlapanco Szabó @verotlapanco Cover design: Arthur Roeloffzen @arthurroeloffzen

Stone cold Karen captured by @dionbal for @unguisoracle Styling - @indianaromavoss Nails - @danielsmedeman Hmu - @ira.h_ Model - @ivy.khumalo

The beautiful Alson & Nathalie wearing @ulkuhan for the cover story “BITE THE HAND”. Styled by Leendert Sonnevelt captured by Jorre Janssens. Photography: @janssensjorre Styling: @leendertcs Hair: @hakahair Make-up: @laurayard Nails: @danielsmedeman Talent: @nathaliehaelermans Casting: @michielvanmaaren Photography assistant: @rickerfmann Styling assistant: @moritzmomi Hair assistant: @moeom715 Make-up assistant: @minoumeijers Nail assistants: @natalyaclements  @soof.nailedit   Art Direction: @karenvandekraats  & @annevbokhoven Shoes: @ulkuhan @skua.studio

Levi. For @fransmolenaarprijs Model: @levi_overvest /@brooksmodelingagency Photo: @teampeterstigter Shoes: @skua.studio Hair: @alexandervdheide Make-up: @mascha_meyer Production: @mirjambax @thenewmodecollective

Chiméne. For @fransmolenaarprijs Model: @chimenelansdorf / @solidmodelmanagement Photo: @teampeterstigter Shoes: @skua.studio Hair: @alexandervdheide Production: @mirjambax @thenewmodecollective