Modernity of French Luxury in Istanbul at Festival Colbert

Today(Tuesday - 22.01.13) marks the end of the first Festival Colbert in Istanbul during which twenty-six companies of the prestigious Comité Colbert of France presented their own take on modernity to the public. 

Through a cluster of showcase events at the selected boutiques of fashionable Nisantasi district and the spacious Istinye Park shopping mall, Istanbulites had the chance to discover different French luxury brands and learn about their heritage. 

Collaborating with artists, Festival Colbert also celebrated multiple facets of French Art de Vivre under the "Duos" concept through collective events organized with contributions of visiting Comité Colbert members – or “advocated of excellence” as referred to in an official statement.

For the occasion; Cartier partnered with Rémy Martin, Chanel and Ères with Sèvres Cité de la Céramique, Christian Dior with the Plaza Athénée, Christofle with Hédiard and Perrier Jouet, Hermès with Pierre Hermé, and Louis Vuitton with Baccarat, Christian Liaigre and Ercuis.

The Sultan’s Favorite Louis Vuitton Chest

One of the highlights of the festival was surely the custom made wardrobe chest of Sultan Abdülhamid, which has been on display at the Louis Vuitton store in Nisantasi. The chest specially made for the Sultan has a front panel that opens like a flap on a desk – which is very traditionally Turkish. The outside is covered in the second version of the Louis Vuitton canvas introduced in 1872 featuring vertical red stripes on a beige background. According to the reference book available at the store, each drawer of the chest originally had a red leather shield, embossed with a golden crown

8 TIES Installation & Pierre Herme’s Macaroons by Hermès

In collaboration with Miguel Chevalier, Hermès showcased an interactive book featuring a collection of ‘’8 Ties’’ with digital patterns - each accompanied with a letter to the visitor carefully explaining the idea behind the design and the design behind the idea.

Both timely and timeless, Hermès has already made a name for herself with meaningful digital applications and smart digital media use and yet the brand did not fully give up on the traditional either. Although the festival ends today, Pierre Herme’s bright and colorful macaroon installation can be seen at Hermès’ Nisantasi store until the end of January.

Teleidoscope by Christofle

As a part of the French luxury week, a “Teleidoscope” specially designed for Christofle by Turkish designer Alper Boler was showcased at brand’s Niþantaþý store. As the visitors peaked through the small hole placed at the center of a huge black cylinder shaped Teleidosope, glistening Christofle products dance in harmony changing shape and colour. In an attempt to express modernity through the eyes of Christofle, Alper Boler successfully highlights 200 years of a brand in a timely fashion.

Festival Colbert is the first luxury festival in Ýstanbul organized by Comité Colbert - an association that serves as a standard-bearer for luxury. While the boutiques are generally happy with the festival and the interest it generated, some boutiques certainly could have put in more thought and effort into what they have to offer for visitors.

While the flagship brands of the luxury industry such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès have successfully differentiated themselves with their creative projects, others simply participated with – not so impressive –window installations, reinterpretations of house classics, special creations or small parties – which frankly is far from satisfying for a festival of such high caliber.

When and if Comité Colbert revisits Istanbul with Festival Colbert in 2014, hopefully participating luxury boutiques would put in a little more thought and effort to live up to the expected standards of Festival Colbert.

The Istanbul Modern Exhibition

This January the Comité Colbert also sponsored a contemporary art exhibition Modernity? Perspectives from, France and Turkey, which opened on January 15 at the Istanbul Modern, bringing together works by contemporary artists in France and in Turkey.

“By contributing to cultural life in Istanbul, French luxury plans to demonstrate social responsibility and promote cultural diversity while celebrating the vitality of the Turkish art scene.” read the official statement issued by the Comité Colbert.

Modernity? Prespectives from, France and Turkey at the Istanbul Modern Museum is to run until May 16.

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LUXURY FURNITURE MAKER DORYA OPENS AN ELEGANT NEW SHOWROOM IN ISTANBUL

Architectural Digest - Located on the street Akaretler Yokuşu in the ancient Turkish capital—where servants from the Ottoman Empire’s Dolmabahçe Palace lived in the mid-19th century—the 8,000-square-foot, three-story row house was completely refashioned by the company, which moved its corporate headquarters from Turkey to Miami last year.

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Emaar Turkey Launches ‘Boulevardi’ Project in Istanbul

Emirates 247 - Emaar Turkey, a subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, has announced the development of ‘Boulevardi,’ a new development covering 67,000 square metres.

Boulevardi will have over 1,000 luxury homes, a 190 room five star hotel, leisure facilities, offices and a shopping mall.

Boulevardi takes inspiration from the cultural heritage of the city featuring elegant homes inspired by Ottoman-style architecture surrounded by wide, tree-lined boulevards.

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Opulent Lives of the Ottoman Sultans

Asia One - Coffee should be as dark as hell, as strong as death and as sweet as love. 

It's no wonder this famous coffee-themed proverb is from Turkey. After all, the world's first coffeehouse was established in the 17th century Istanbul, during the time of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman sultans' love for coffee was notorious; they had at least six maids serving the beverage, using some of the most expensive burners, pots and cups - all made of silver and diamonds. 

The lavish coffee-drinking culture is just one aspect of the Turkish civilization. Starting this week, the National Museum of Korea's special exhibition is offering a rare opportunity for Seoulites to see exquisite collections of Turkish relics. 

A total of 184 artifacts are showcased in four different sections, categorized by the time periods: The ancient Anatolian civilizations, the Greek and Roman Civilizations, the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923). The first section of the exhibition features the relics of the ancient Hittites, the first civilization to use iron. "The Hittites enjoyed a high level of culture and development," said associate curator Kim Se-won of the museum. 

"They are famous for their iron weapons, which were much stronger than the ones made of bronze. They are also known for the Treaty of Kadesh, which is considered the world's first peace treaty." Some of the most significant relics in this section include a tablet inscribed in the Cuneiform script, which is the surviving legal document written by Hattushili I (1586-1556 B.C.) - a Hittite king. "The words of the king are like steel," he wrote. "They cannot be changed, disobeyed, or ignored. Anyone who changes his words will be beheaded." 

Turkey is also home to countless artifacts from the Greek and Roman civilizations. The country in fact has more Greek and Roman ruins preserved than Greece and Italy, according to Kim. Viewers will be given a rare opportunity to see some beautiful marble sculptures of the Greek and Roman heroes, including Alexander the Great. The most fascinating of the exhibits are, undoubtedly, the relics from the Ottoman Empire. 

The culture of the Ottoman Empire was deeply rooted in Islam and the items from this time period show off vivid colors and splendid use of jewels and stones, revealing the sultans' absolute power and their lavish lifestyle. Sultans' everyday items, including colorful garments, a silver ashtray, a crystal ladle, and a turban ornament decorated with colorful gems, including rubies, pearls, diamonds and emeralds, are on display. 

Aside from coffee, the Ottoman sultans also enjoyed a very high level of culinary culture. "The Ottoman cuisine was developed from the 15th century and was created by an elite group, who lived near the royal palace in Istanbul," said Kim. "The culinary culture included everything from picking the right ingredients, method of cooking, and table manners to building of the kitchens." Viewers will have a chance to see some of the soup bowls and food plates, all made of silver and gold. According to Kim, the royal palace of the 16th century Ottoman Empire served more than 40 different types of soups everyday. Among them, its chicken soup and rice soup were often used as medicine. 

The Muslim faith also deeply influenced the Ottoman royals' bathing culture. They always used flowing water rather than stagnant pools, and thought that was the religiously proper way of cleansing themselves. The exhibition features a few pairs of high-heeled bath shoes worn by the Ottoman royals, which are made of silver. "The shoes were high-heeled because the royals wanted to avoid stepping into water," said Kim. "The height of the heels also reflected your status. The royals of higher status would wear shoes with higher heels."  

One should also make sure to check out the Quran chest, which was used to store the holy text of Islam. It is made of wood and decorated with precious materials such as pearls and ivory. The exhibition also showcases a copy of the Quran from the Ottoman Empire, its texts inscribed in gold. Osman Murat Suslu, 

Turkey's general director of museums and cultural heritage, was in Seoul to attend the opening of the exhibition on Monday. "Korea and Turkey have been exchanging culture for thousands of years," he said during a press meeting in Seoul. "I hope this exhibition can boost Turkish-Korean relations." The National Museum of Korea will also host a special exhibition featuring Korean ceramics in Turkey, from May to August of next year. 

"The Civilizations of Turkey: Emperors in Istanbul" runs until Sept. 2 at the Special Exhibition Gallery of the National Museum of Korea.

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