Saint Road

In 2016, Istanbul Pride was banned by the local government “for the safety of our citizens and public order”. Despite this, hundreds of activists poured onto the streets of Taksim, defying the city’s police force and resisting the tear gas, water cannons, and dogs that stood in their way. It was here that Hande Kader, a trans woman and activist, told Turkish reporters: “You shoot our videos but you don’t broadcast them anywhere, so no-one can hear us.” A few months later, her body was found raped, mutilated, and burnt on the roadside. “Society will only change with the noise we make,” says Istanbul fashion designer Koral Sagular, whose SS20 collection, “The flame surrounds the soul, gets close to the heart”, is a tribute to Kader and the wider LGBTQ+ community in Turkey.