ISTANBUL — Sitting on the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkey has impressed each creation and commerce for hundreds of years. The nation’s high luxurious style and life-style division retailer Beymen is celebrating that wealthy heritage throughout its personal 50th anniversary celebrations, which started final week in Istanbul.
“We determined to do one thing completely different to have fun our fiftieth anniversary by wanting into the five hundred years of historical past of luxurious in these lands and take that into current day with a worldwide eye,” mentioned Elif Çapçi, chief government officer of Beymen. “The exhibition is a celebration of Beymen’s 50th anniversary but in addition a tribute to Istanbul’s centuries-old multicultural heritage.”
The mission took two years of planning with greater than 100 consultants together with collectors, historians and museum curators, in what Çapçi described as “a significant initiative to dig into the historical past of luxurious.”
The result’s a treasure trove of historic silk embroidered caftans relationship again to the 18th century on show alongside the work of up to date designers impressed by the area’s historical past. “We took the historic Anatolian references and shared them with 50 worldwide manufacturers which we’ve collaborated with to design particular items for this anniversary. The manufacturers took inspiration and interpreted with their very own DNA,” mentioned Çapçi.
The exhibition of luxurious clothes, previous and new, will run till Dec. 15 at Istanbul’s historic 15th century Tophane-i Amire Tradition and Arts Middle. “That is actually a giant thank-you from Beymen to our prospects, to the Turkish public,” added Çapçı.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, inventive director of Valentino, created a Valentino pink, 13-foot lengthy maxi cape and robe with tulip embroidery. “I interpreted my homage to Beymen’s half century as a present and a dialogue. I took the very best of my Valentino modern and historic situation — volumes, feathers, textures, coloration, id — and adorned it with a Turkish romantic image, the tulips. These two tulips are similar to two lovers chasing one another on the Bosphorus,” he mentioned.
Olivier Rousteing created a particular assortment of Turkish-inspired items for Balmain on show on the exhibition. “My staff and I channeled the famend splendor of the best Ottoman artisans, with Turkey’s wealthy heritage mirrored on this capsule’s unbelievable materials, beads, jewels and embroideries,” he mentioned. These gildings, that includes the exact Parisian tailoring, sharp cuts and the volumes for which Balmain is understood, resulted in a show-stopping swimsuit, a middle level of the exhibition.
Turkish sisters Ayse and Ece Ege of Paris-based Cube Kayek mentioned being part of the exhibition was very significant for them. “Being from right here, we’ve all the time appreciated the worth of the arms, of labor completed by arms. We have now all the time believed it. I’m always impressed by the heritage of the land.”
Though they didn’t launch of their native Turkey, Beymen was their first consumer. “They bought our complete first assortment of poplin shirts in 1994. They had been our first consumer and we’re nonetheless right here at present,” mentioned Ece Ege.
Other than the exhibition, the celebration consists of the publication of a ebook, “Golden Opulence,” written by Laurence Benaïm and printed by Assouline, in addition to a forthcoming documentary highlighting the significance and worth of Turkey’s ultural heritage in style and design.
As Beymen appears forward on its 50th anniversary, Çapçi mentioned the main target is constant to strengthen its place available in the market. “The trade is altering rather a lot. We have now to remain forward of the change, hold inspiring. Beymen stands for a sure lifestyle, high quality, of consideration to element. We have now all the time been a bridge between Turkey and international style. We have now a market share of 40 p.c in luxurious style in Turkey. And for greater than 1,000 manufacturers, we symbolize them solely” in Turkey.
Thirty p.c of the retailer’s enterprise is now on-line, she added, and the goal is to proceed to strengthen that.
The corporate was acquired by Qatar-based Mayhoola for Funding LLC in 2019 and presently operates 20 shops throughout Turkey and one in Cairo. Nonetheless, in keeping with Çapçi, they aren’t taking a look at worldwide enlargement exterior of the nation. “We’re profitable as a result of we’re very centered.
“Generally when you could have very heavy points and agenda on this planet, folks could not really feel speaking about luxurious as being as related. However that is actually intertwined with tradition and historical past. We sense the multifaceted, unifying and enriching energy of style, artwork, and tradition extra strongly at present than ever. It’s a supply of great delight to know that our nation’s unmatched cultural heritage will proceed to encourage luxurious style and design around the globe,” mentioned Çapçi.
The exhibition, she mentioned, will go to different main style capitals after Istanbul.
