Lane Crawford Talks

Founded by sisters Basak and Defne Kocabıyıkoğlu, Nackiyé was inspired by the pair’s childhoods spent in rural fishing towns in the Eastern Mediterranean. The name Nackiyé was named after their great-grandmother, a memento of the women of their lineage who have been an endless source of inspiration to them.

Designed for the modern-day globetrotting woman in mind, the Nackiyé aesthetic is heavily inspired by artisanal craft and voluminous silhouettes. Aiming to encapsulate the way summer transformed their hometown, the sisters have launched a collection of ready-to-wear pieces. They wish to continue researching, developing and preserving their cultural heritage in their designs for Nackiyé.

We had the chance to sit down with the brains behind Nackiyé to talk about everything from how Istanbul’s rich culture influences their designs to the brand’s approach to sustainability. Keep reading for our interview with the sisters.

We grew up in a particular family of Sufi origins (think whirling dervishes), where the women are very strong. In fact, the first woman dervish to whirl is one of our great grandmothers! Nakiyé (as pronounced in Turkish) was such a striking woman, educated in piano, various languages, who also honored Turkish Sufi traditions, arts and crafts, whilst reigning over a large family like a queen. This bridge between the past and present, international and local, will and feminine sensibility makes our very core and so becomes our brand. We hope to instil this in each piece we create for Nackiyé.

We do a million of things for Nackiyé on a normal day. Funny thing is, being sisters, we’ve always done many of these things simultaneously. Mornings are often an early start (followed by a couples pilates session or a game of couples tennis!) and we concentrate on quiet, creative work alongside a nice, strong cup of coffee and a small bite on our shared desk. Strolling through our research and inspirations, we then meet with our design team or end up choosing fabrics. Lunch is often taken at our desk too and it’s a very quick serving of Turkish food (think stuffed vine leaves with a dollop of yoghurt or watermelon with a side of feta cheese). Afternoons are mostly for fittings, marketing or finance meetings, emails and organisational work. We love popping out to the old city to meet our jewelry masters. This trip is always so inspirational, strolling through the Covered Bazaar, having a bite of an Ottoman pastry from a traditional bakery, bumping into crazy surprises of this centuries-old city. However, with our crazy schedule and Istanbul traffic, we can only realize this every once in a while.

We stay inspired thanks to our childhood. As kids, we spent so many months of idle time in 80’s and 90’s Bodrum (back then we thought it was absolutely boring). Those were amazing times, when the Aegean town was a sleepy fishing village that would transform into a glitzy resort, starring socialites who were so easy to bump into at local taverns during lazy summer months. Think Mick Jagger mingling with legendary Turkish singer Zeki Müren. Istanbul was not much different. To this day, the contrast between the beautiful bareness of this geography and the glitzy, fantastic scenery it attracted remains our ever-green inspiration.

This is a hard question!

If we were to pick three pieces, these would be:

1 - The Embroidered Little Jacket. Wear this over jeans, skirts or any pants, it’s such a game-changer! The traditional Turkish needle lace work on the collar is a treasured technique that has been passed down through generations.

2 - A piece from our knitwear collection. We use the best yarn quality possible. The wool Sugarman Polo or the cashmere Avalanche oversized jumper are both great investment pieces and immediately sell out.

3 - Ottoman Sash Belt. This is such a unique look, an embellished belt with undertones of the Peştemal waistbands, as seen in Istanbul during the 14th and 15th century Ottoman fashion.

In so many ways. Firstly, we always thought of Hong Kong and Istanbul as identical cities in so many ways. The history, the buzz, the melting of different cultures. Then there is the chic attention to detail and quality, which to us is ‘old school, traditional luxury’ and we treasure this. And finally the notion of heritage. It’s a pleasure to work with LC and be part of their story.

Our version of sustainability primarily means working with the finest quality materials and techniques, intended for longevity, to be passed down from mother to daughter, for each piece to be treasured. It means continuing to work with our many tailors, pattern makers and embroiderers, sustaining a diverse community and ensuring the continuation of technique & craftsmanship in Istanbul. At the same time, we are creating small quantities of our collections to ensure there is no wastage, but at the same time, it tells the customer that these pieces are unique and one of a kind.