Silk Slippers

It was several years ago that this article about Janet Chisholm was first published in the New York Times Style section, but I was delighted to come across her luxury accessories company Hanimefendi more recently.

Made by hand from antique silk ikats as well as modern woven fabrics, the slippers are designed and manufactured in a workshop behind the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Near and dear to our hearts are anyone with the passion for reviving traditional craft with such beautiful taste and style.

Slippers fit for today's princess.

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All images from Hanimefendi.net

A Designer Shopping Event

Did you get your invitation? Ours just arrived for a shopping event showcasing four Istanbul designers: Leyla Taranto, Özlem Tuna, Örge Tulga and Dilek Aksu.

Leyla Taranto: Toz Design 

Charms by Toz Design

Özlem Tuna: Jewellery & Objects

Pomegranate Spear by Özlem Tuna

Örge Tulga: Jewellery Design

18K Gold Earrings from Örge Tulga's Dream Collection

Dilek Aksu: Bobbin Handmade Textiles

Pillows from Bobbin's Home Textile Collection

Date: December 17th - 19th
Time: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm
Location: Teşvikiye Bostan Sokak No. 13/3 :: Nişantaşı - Istanbul
Phone: +90.212.260.0682


{Photo credits belong to each designer as attributed.}

A Top Shopping Destination

Well-known for its monuments and mosques, Istanbul has been growing in popularity with hardened globetrotting shoppers for several years now.

Uniquely, Istanbul has not just one famous street to shop from but several and all housing major designers, haute couture houses and the latest Turkish designers hitting the fashion scene. Probably the most well-known cosmopolitan district is Istiklal Street in historical Pera because of it's city centre location and close proximity to the hub of the Istanbul tourist attractions.

Istiklal Street, Beyoglu

For a much more upscale shopping spree to rival Paris and Vienna, go where the socialites and stars shop; Nisantasi in Tesvikiye. All labels known to mankind are located along this long, long street of shops. The New Year lights and decorations in Nisantasi are absolutely stunning and alone worth visiting for.

With several more popular shopping districts on the Asian side as well, such as Kadikoy, Istanbul is a major shopping destination. Also, you would be surprised to discover that Europe's largest and the world's sixth largest shopping mall is also in Istanbul. Cevahir Mall houses over 280 shops, some which are unique, 12 cinemas, 48 restaurants, and too much else to count. It also boasts the largest clock in the world.

Cevahir

Address: Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Center, Buyukdere Cad. No:22 Sisli / Istanbul

Tel: +90 212 368 6900 +90 212 368 6900
Fax: +90 212 380 1352

Summit Goes Behind the Bazaar

If you are wondering how we came about to create these unique excursions which make up Behind the Bazaar, then why not enjoy a cup of tea as my partner Tara urges in the previous post, while I tell you a little about it.
Being two women who do our best to discover and support female artisans, artists and designers mainly here in Turkey, we designed several itineraries which would take visitors to see these artisans in action. With a backdrop of such a rich arts and culture heritage, we saw that it was also important to show people where these arts had their roots. So we designed our excursions to include a historical workshop complex called medrese - which were the universities of the day and taught everything from maths and science to literature and poetry. Armed with the knowledge of these eye-opening ancient art techniques, it only made sense to then visit modern designers who use these ancient arts and crafts to draw their inspiration.

A memorable group: Enjoying a typical Turkish lunch in the centuries-old courtyard of a medrese.

Our most memorable and fun experience was with our first major group following the 1st International Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit, held in Istanbul on 4-5 June 2009. It was a tailor-made 2-day excursion which encompassed every single stop on our itineraries and was a refreshing way for everybody to shake off their conference uniforms and enjoy an unknown side to Istanbul, both ancient and modern. The excursion consisted of two days full of art, ancient crafts, interesting female designers and quirky settings. Despite such an intense program, it wasn't at all tiring as little walking was involved and everyone had time to absorb each stop at leisure thanks to our air-conditioned tour vehicle.

So, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us on that tour and made it an unforgettable experience.

Welcome to Behind the Bazaar

Centuries-old artisan workshops

Behind the Bazaar is the enfolding of a story which takes two expat women from a providential meeting in the nostalgic quarter of Istanbul known as Beyoglu on to a journey of friendship, partnership and creative discovery. Tara is an American and came to Turkey seven years ago when she married. She is a successful entrepreneur in her own right with company Citara's and blog Turquoise Poppy. Figen is half British/half Turkish and came to Turkey 16 years ago from London, also through love and marriage. She has built a very successful online business of her own, The Knit Box and also publishes her own designs.

With many similar passions and ideas, it only seemed right for us to join forces to create Intarsia Concept, which supports artisans, small businesses and creative endeavours. Behind the Bazaar was born out of a joint passion for Turkish arts - both traditional and modern and particularly those created by women, as well as our desire to share the many secrets of Istanbul with people who will appreciate them. For Behind the Bazaar, we will always be grateful to Linda Alepin.

A modern twist on traditional art by young, women designers

So, anyone who is a traveler, a discoverer, an entrepreneur or simply a lover of arts, crafts and design; welcome again to Behind the Bazaar.