How Nackiye brought Turkish fashion to the international stage – interview

Nackiye is one of the fresh new brands on the block introducing Turkish fashion to the world, and inspired by the country’s rich history and heritage. It was founded by sisters Basak and Defne Kocabiyikoglu, and named after their great-grandmother.

“Our connection to Istanbul has a lot to do with sensations,” Basak said during a recent visit to Hong Kong with Lane Crawford, which stocks the brand’s distinctly Mediterranean yet universally cosmopolitan pieces. “There’s the scenery, always attractive and mysterious. There’s the smell, which is very particular – you can smell the sea, the flowers, the trees in the springtime, so vibrant. And then there’s the sounds. The car horns, the people yelling, the children, the seagulls, the ferries.”

“There’s also this chaos – old, ruined buildings mixed with contemporary architecture,” Defne adds. “That also finds a place in our collection. Sometimes we don’t do pretty hemmings, we just do raw edges. This deconstructed, unfinished look also represents Istanbul.”

Basak nods. “If it wasn’t for the Turkish background, we wouldn’t have Nackiye because there’s everything, especially in fashion. There are so many brands and so many different points of view. If you don’t have your own personal signature and point of view, there’s no way to have a place.”

Nackiye’s personal signature can be found in every detail of its whimsical clothes – cashmere cardigans with large buttons, silk kaftans with bows and embellished blouses with billowy sleeves – all of which are an homage to the hard work the sisters have put into building the brand, which is in turn built on the lifelong labour of all the women who came before them. Mature yet youthful, dignified and joyful, the clothes embody what Basak describes as the sort of inner strength inherent to the Turkish spirit which can only arise from overcoming adversity.

“Turks love fun and they’re huge on humour – if they didn’t have humour, it would be so difficult for them to go through all of these things,” Basak says of the political and socio-economic turmoil Turkey has seen in recent years.