When Galataport, Istanbul‘s new waterfront shopping complex and cruise terminal, opened along the Bosphorus in late 2021, a major highlight was the revamped Ottoman-era post office, a grand open-plan space dedicated to homegrown Turkish brands. Now the site of some 250 stores, the bustling retail hub reflects a tradition dating back to the early days of Istanbul’s 500-year-old Grand Bazaar, when artisans, or “usta,” composed such a lauded echelon of Turkish society that streets were named after them. Visit today and you’ll still see signage decorated with odes to the Halıcılar (carpet makers), Kuyumcular (goldsmiths), Aynacılar (mirror makers), and many other craftspeople whose wares line the arcades. But contemporary Turkish creatives are also attracting global attention far beyond the walls of the world’s most famous bazaar, thanks to modern twists on jewelry, fashion, furniture, and textile techniques rooted in the rich history of the Ottoman era. And in doing so, they’re shaping the futures of the Istanbul neighborhoods they call home.
Bags of color
In historic Beyoğlu, Misela‘s handbags fuse fresh, contemporary styling with traditional Turkish methods. Highlights include sun-lounger-striped fabric box clutches, pastel top-handle bags featuring contrast fastenings, and embossed bucket bags with bright tassels. Individuality and personalization are at the heart of the brand: The signature Anatolia bag can be custom-made in 12 different shades, with more than 80 possible stitching colors and the option of monogramming.
Cabinet of curiosities
Acid green paint and a flashing neon scarab signal a visitor’s entry into the world of jeweler Begüm Kıroğlu. Her flagship boutique, Begüm Khan, in ritzy Nisantası, is an ode to her unconventional botanical and animal influences. Inside are cases displaying dramatic pieces shaped like tropical frogs, snakes, and insects, plus an extensive collection of evil eye jewelry, oversized pharaoh cuffs, and maximalist earrings in praying mantis, jellyfish, and shell designs.
Statement dressing
Sisters Defne and Başak Kocabıyıkoglu’s Beşiktaş womenswear store Nackiyé (named after their grandmother) sells accessible statement pieces, like roomy harem-inspired pants and pleated strapless tops in wallpaper-print jacquard. In Nişantaşı is Fey, founded by designer Fatoş Yalın, the former fashion director of Turkish Marie Claire, which is dedicated to made-in-Istanbul collections. Upstairs, Yalın’s husband’s store, Arkun, sells furnishings and menswear.
Preloved pieces
In leafy Zekeriyaköy, Aslı Atamer has turned her Istanbul family villa into the vintage emporium House of Junk. The top floor is still kept as private bedrooms, so the shopping happens in the living room, where midcentury credenzas are strewn with straw hats, palm tree lamps, quirky candlesticks, and brass hatstands holding blazers and beaded flapper dresses. The basement is jam-packed with neon signs, vintage slippers, antique toys, and medical mannequins.
Making scents
Founded in 1895, beauty brand Atelier Rebul now has a store in Galataport. Designed to resemble an old-world apothecary, the space is stocked with scents overseen by an in-house pharmacist. On Ahmet Fetgrai, Mert Güzel and Murat Katran’s fragrance store, Nishane, produces gender-neutral perfumes that seek to bridge divides—the Armenian-made Ani and Ege (meaning Aegean) displays the brand’s name in both Turkish and Greek.
Homeware haven
Antiques showroom A La Turca in arty Çukurcuma occupies a four-story late-19th-century house on a cobblestone lane that was bought and restored by Erkal Aksoy in the mid-1990s. The bulk of his collection is Anatolian kilims (flat-woven Turkish carpets), with more than 100 wrapped up in bales and tied with twine. But the place is filled to the rafters with glazed pots, brass-pedestalled globes, ceramic urns, and quirky tableware.
This article appeared in the April 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
