Fuelled By Passion

Dilek Hanif celebrates femininity in her designs by merging style and creativity with her Anatolian roots. Signature talks to the first Turkish fashion designer to showcase a collection at the Paris Haute Couture Week.

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One of the foremost designers to emerge from Turkey, Dilek Hanif is a renowned name in the world of fashion. Her style which is a fantastic amalgamation of antiquity and modernity has won her admirers world over – from A-listers to the fashion forward. She was the first Turkish designer to showcase a collection at the Paris Haute Couture Week.

She has built, from scratch, a well-respected brand through her perfectionist, principled and determined approach all the while flourishing as a fashion designer, an entrepreneur, a cultural ambassador and a mother.

Dilek Hanif designs modern and feminine dresses through a synthesis of her innovative personal style and the rich cultural legacy of the Ottomans. By successfully combining, in each collection, her traditional approach with Haute Couture design and elegance, Hanif has added a new dimension to the Turkish woman fashion scene. Her designs, while emphasising and celebrating femininity, remain simply elegant, avoiding exaggeration while staying full of romanticism. The high quality fabrics, precise, hand-crafted stitching as well as her relentless pursuit of perfection in each design has resulted in each piece being recognised as a piece of art.

In an exclusive interview with Signature, she talks about her foray into fashion, Turkey as an inspiration and her creative process, among other topics.

Please tell us when you first got interested in fashion.