In Conversation with Merve Bayindir
- Kaavya Guhan
- 17 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Merve Bayindir's designs are more than just hats; they are art, architecture, and couture. From the beginning of the business in Turkey and then carrying it to London, Bayindir relishes the challenges of the business, with her craft being her creative playground. Her constant striving for perfection is evident in her work. This past September, I had the pleasure of speaking with Merve online about her journey, ambitions, and creative process.
KG: What inspired you to become a designer?
MB:Â I grew up in an environment where I constantly made stuff. I grew up literally making my grandma sew dresses for me from catalogues instead of going and buying stuff, and I learned how to make dresses at a very early age. I had one of those tailoring machines when I was little. It was cute and pink. I still have it. I wasn't planning on becoming a designer. It was luck. I was designing clothes for my mom's company, actually, just as a side thing. I got invited to a popular horse race in Turkey, and then everyone took pictures of me that day. I was the only hat designer in Turkey, and that was declared in newspapers. So I was sort of like, maybe I should do that now. That's how I became a hat designer; I really did not plan on it at all.
KG: How has designing been an expressive outlet for you?
MB: I suffer from bipolar disorder. Well, I don't really 'suffer', but it is part of my life, and I think since I started making hats, it has helped me a lot because it's a big-time outlet, and the mood of my life sort of affects my collections. If I'm bright and happy, it shows, and if I'm down, the collection expresses a darker side of me. What I found is that if I get frustrated or really down, this is one place where I can really explore that side of me.
KG: How do you approach designing a collection?
MB: So when I used to do runway shows, I used to pick a particular topic and study that topic. So with a show group like that, it is a very specific process where you're very concentrated on making show pieces, you don't worry about if someone is going to wear it or not, because for me at least, if you're doing a runway, it's an editorial thing. Whereas for seasonal collections, there are a few things I consider: one is obviously the topic that comes with the collection. I have an idea what kind of styles I want to go for, but it comes together more through the collection when I pick the colours. When I want to decide on the details, it tends to form itself. I take a lot of consideration from what people want to wear because I think that's very important to keep up with the trends and what's coming next. So we do a lot of reading, following up, and listening to our clients. I find that they do whisper a lot of tips to you about what they want to see. And another thing would be, as I said, every season when the collection really forms out, I always put a few show pieces.
KG: The bond between you and your mother is the foundation for the brand - how do you reflect that in your designs?
MB:Â Unfortunately, my mom got sick; she got breast cancer, and that sort of bonded us together. Even though we went through a very rough patch for the next six years, somehow this whole thing brought us together. Every design is sort of like we pass on the pieces, so it's a big team effort. I taught my mom how to make hats, since she knew how to make dresses. This teaches you something because your entire life, you learn stuff from your mom, right? And suddenly, there was an opportunity where we changed positions for a very specific thing, but that sort of teaches you a different version of sharing, and then you start building on it.
KG: What drew you to design hats in particular?
MB:Â I actually really resisted making hats, but with hats, you have full control, and you actually get to do every detail by yourself. And when I was starting, I didn't want a team because I hated handling people, but now I'm better at this. And so that was the fun part, actually making it. It's more of a 3D structure in comparison to something like a dress, which you don't get to turn into a 3D thing. You literally start with a three-dimensional base and start creating, so it's fun. It's like building furniture for your head.
KG: How do you overcome creative blocks?
MB: You try different methods, you invent a new method, and then you incorporate it and redo it. Other than that, I honestly don't see anything as a challenge - is that too cocky of me to say? It is just fun for me, it's like a puzzle.
See more of her work here
Written by Kaavya Guhan
                      Edited by Co-Fashion Editor, Abbey Villasis
