Ask a Local: Where Turkish Fashion Designers Shop in Istanbul
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The giant metropolis of Istanbul, with around 16 million inhabitants, has never stopped reinventing itself—whilst keeping one eye firmly on its historic roots. Just a few years ago, the Galataport project opened up three-quarters of a mile of coastline in harborside Karaköy to the public via a boardwalk lined with modern cafes, shops, restaurants, and museums. Most notably, there’s the famed architect Renzo Piano-designed Istanbul Modern and the new, ultra-luxurious Peninsula Istanbul made up of several 19th-century buildings on the Golden Horn waterway's European side.
The city has also created the İBB Miras project that recently renovated around 22 historic buildings and monuments into modern spaces of art and culture that are free to the public. Zeyrek Çinili Hamam, a 500-year-old bath house, just underwent a 13-year restoration project, and along the Golden Horn waterway the new Tersane project will birth new hotels, restaurants, and the new Sadberk Hanım Museum’s private collection. On the food scene, contemporary Turkish dining and viticulture has taken off, with seven Michelin-starred restaurants and many more in the Gault&Millau guide.
The city’s seemingly indefatigable energy has become a source of hope and motivation for young creatives who have established their own brands here despite challenging economic and political circumstances. Nackiyé, a womenswear brand founded by sisters Başak and Defne Kocabıyıkoğlu, is among these success stories, informed deeply by the past, the city’s future-forward growth, and the exuberant history of the women in their family.
The brand is named after their great-grandmother Nackiyé, whose family belonged to a 14th-century dervish lodge of Sufism—a spiritual approach to Islam. Nackiyé’s own grandmother, named Seyyare, is said to have been the first young girl to dance the mystic whirling dervish ritual during the Ottoman Empire.“The Sufi philosophy is deep and beautiful, and so is the whirling tradition which is its manifestation,” say Başak and Defne.
As descendants of the first women whirling dervishes, they have pointed cultural and design recommendations for Istanbul’s visitors, ranging from the The Galata Mevlevi House Museum for a traditional dervish ceremony, to the best hammams, tea houses, and antique shopping in the city. Here’s how to shop and sightsee in Istanbul, according to Nackiyé‘s founders, the Kocabıyıkoğlu sisters.
Go antique hunting in Çukurcuma
With its descending cobblestoned streets, historic apartments, and the famously nostalgic Museum of Innocence it’s no wonder that the Çukurcuma neighborhood is one of the city’s main areas for serious antique-hunting.
“When in the mood for interior shopping, Çukurcuma is beyond competition for midcentury design finds,” says Başak, who recommend spending time at Şamdan Antique–for midcentury furniture and lighting–and the new modern collection of Alaturca House–for midcentury-modern furniture and contemporary art. For a brief respite from that shopping, the sisters like to head to Çukurcuma Köftecisi for a lunch of grilled meatballs served with a side of fresh tomatoes and peppers.
Nuruosmaniye, The covevered bazaar
The best Grand Bazaar shopping, according to insiders
“Istanbul offers a great number of shopping excursions for a variety of moods. When we are in the mood for exploration, we head to nowhere else but The Grand Bazaar,” says Defne. “This ancient, covered shopping heaven accommodates many hidden craftsmen’s ateliers—rug makers, goldsmiths, antique collectors, and rosary masters.”
Some insider Grand Bazaar gems of theirs include Chalabi, a distinguished antique fine-jewelry shop that originally opened in 1880 and is currently run by the fourth-generation antiques dealer Paul Chalabi. For traditional and handmade Anatolian carpets, the sisters also recommend Şengör Halı, one of the bazaar’s oldest carpet sellers and a family business that has been around since 1918. Another favorite is Dhoku, which also features more contemporary designs in their range of traditional kilims, piled carpets, and wool and silk rugs.
When hungry, "jump right across to Aslan Lokantası, our favorite Ottoman restaurant, which is in front of the Nuruosmaniye Gate,” they recommend.
Coffee and souvenirs in Bebek, the gourmet Bosphorus village
The neighborhoods that line the Bosphorus on the European side are surely some of the city’s most exclusive with their Ottoman-era mansions, upscale restaurants, boutiques, and endless views of Istanbul’s iconic vista. This is also where the Kocabıyıkoğlus like to do their food shopping, including the famed almond and pistachio paste from Meşhur Bebek Badem Ezmesi, which has been around since 1904.
“Coffee is great at Mangerie in Bebek. This little café with a beautiful view encapsulates the lovely spirit of this neighborhood. Also, Bebek Kahve, an old-school Turkish seaside teahouse is great for enjoying a Turkish simit (bagel) with your favorite drink.”
Run by the talented female chef İnanç Çelengil, the Michelin Guide-nominated restaurant Aman da Bravo is inspired by the honest flavors of local ingredients and the art of modern bistronomy. Located in a lush garden up on the Bebek hills, the upscale yet somehow laidback restaurant is among their favorites for crisp cocktails and a modern take on Turkish food. “The chilled garden is beautiful for summer nights and the chic interiors are balmy on snowy evenings. And the food is exceptional,” they say.
Located further up the Bosphorus in the neighborhood of Tarabya, they recommend another hidden gem for excellent seafood. “Kıyı is our local fish restaurant, which is absolutely an institution. Although not central, it offers the best fish and meze and its owner Yorgo Bey has been promising the best experience for years.”
Bath houses in Karaköy
Aside from the expansive new Galataport, the Karaköy neighborhood is also home to more historic sights including the stunning Kiliç Ali Paşa Mosque, built by the famed Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan in the 1580s. Right next door, is a popular place of reprieve for the Kocabıyıkoğlus—the Kiliç Ali Paşa Hamamı Turkish bath.
For Turkish towels, scrubs, and anything spa related, it’s absolutely the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam Shop where guests can enjoy a traditional Turkish tea after a hammam session. The Kocabıyıkoğlus "swear by this quarterly beauty ritual.”
And when the ritual has been completed, lunch at the nearby Karaköy Lokantası is a must for meze and other Turkish classics: “For us, it’s the best lunch in town.”
And a visit to the Nackiyé store
Located in the beautifully renovated Akaretler neighborhood—a set of row houses built in the 19th century by Sultan Abdulaziz to accommodate the most prominent officials of the Dolmabahçe Palace—the Nackiyé showroom is, of course, the sisters’ favorite place for fashion. But it's not just a place for clothing; the beautiful and historic townhouse also has a secret garden and a small canteen. It’s been masterfully renovated by famed architects Autoban and consists of four floors that include a store, offices, and an atelier. And right across the street, they recommend popping into Minoa, a bookstore with a lovely cafe that they call a great place to grab good guide books to steer the rest of your adventures in Istanbul.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
