Clothing shopping in Istanbul
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Mavi Jeans
The dress code of choice for İstanbul's youth is a pair of worn jeans (usually tight and low-slung) and a fair percentage of these would have been purchased from local company Mavi. Among the most popular ranges are those designed by internationally recognised fashion designer, Rıfat Özbek. Prices are at least half of those of foreign imports. There are other branches at İstiklal Caddesi 195 and 425.
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Midnight Express
Local designer Banu Bora chose the ultra-chic Mısır Apartment Building on İstiklal Caddesi as the Beyoğlu location for her business, reinforcing its status as the city’s most sophisticated fashion boutique. It stocks Bora’s own labels (there are two) plus clothes and accessories from local and international designers. If the door is closed, ring the bell. There’s another store in Bebek that sells both fashion and homewares.
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Ark Lıne
One of the motifs of contemporary Turkish fashion is the inspiration local designers take from their Ottoman heritage. Ark Line has followed Gönül Paksoy in referencing the sartorial style of the sultans and their entourages in its collections. The clothes here are nowhere near as assured and desirable as Paksoy’s, but they are considerably cheaper, meaning that they sit within most budgets.
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Leyla Seyhanli
If you love old clothes, you’ll adore Leyla Seyhanlı’s boutique. Filled to the brim with piles of Ottoman embroidery and outfits, it’s a rummager’s delight. It stocks everything from 1890s cashmere and velvet coats to 1950s taffeta party frocks to silk-embroidery cushion covers that would’ve been at home in the Dolmabahçe Palace linen cupboard.
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Tezgah Alley
Put your elbows to work fighting your way to the front of the tezgah (stalls) in this alleyway, off İstiklal Caddesi, which are heaped with T-shirts, jumpers, pants and shirts on offer for a mere TL3 to TL6 per piece. Turkey is a major centre of European clothing manufacture, and the items here are often factory run-ons from designer or high-street-chain orders.
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Doors
Local fashion designer Ümit Ünal is rapidly acquiring an international profile, with stores in New York, Hong Kong and London stocking his striking pieces. His women’s clothes, which use natural fabrics in muted colours, are best described as wearable art. Prices are surprising reasonable considering the originality and quality on offer.
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Gönül Paksoy
Gönül Paksoy creates and sells pieces that transcend fashion and step into art. These two shops showcase her distinctive clothing, which is made using naturally dyed fabrics and is often decorated with vintage beads. She also creates and sells delicate silk and cotton knits and exquisite jewellery based on traditional Ottoman designs.
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Building Food Lab & Apparel
It may be 50% boutique and 50% bar, but Building is definitely 100% fashionable. Men’s and women’s designer threads from Turkey and overseas are on show at the rear of the space; young fashionistas are on display in the front bar area. It’s hard-edged and just a teeny bit hard to take seriously.
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Mariposa
The Mariposa atelier turns out a particularly fetching line in floral frocks. Fashionistas will adore the fact that it not only makes to order, but also designs and tailors unique ensembles. As well as the dresses, coats and jackets on the racks, it makes pretty bedspreads and pillowslips.
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Semerkand Suzani
If you fancy the idea of swanning around at home wearing an old kaftan from Uzbekistan or a dowry shirt from Anatolia, this is where you can source them. There are caps, fabrics and lots of lovely pieces to choose from.
reviewed
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Koç Deri
If you fancy a leather jacket or coat, Koç is bound to have something that suits. It’s one of the bazaar’s busiest stores and certainly the most stylish of the leather outlets here.
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Sedef Çalarkan
Here you'll find a fabulously funky range of T-shirts and leather bags decorated with images of sultans. We were particularly taken with the design featuring Murad III wearing a Bluetooth headset!
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Bis
Its good line in funky urban wear, including clubbing wear, makes Bis a favourite with bright young things. There's another store at Hayriye Sokak 18A, Çukurcuma.
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