EXCLUSIVE! Interview with designer Ceylan Insel
An exclusive interview with talanted painter Ceylan Insel
“Have fun with yourself and what you create,” says daydreamer designer Ceylan Insel, who has recently launched her own label, Ceylan Insel Milano.
The emerging designer and painter has her own studio in Milan, where she keeps all her brushes, canvases and sewing machines. Ceylan describes her studio as a “house of her imagination”.
Although Ceylan is from Istanbul, Milan is the city which inspired her to create her own brand and that is why she attached Milano to her label’s name.
However, Ceylan says that Istanbul also inspires her designs. She describes the city as a mixture of east and west with a lot of contradictions living together; such as traditions and modernity or chaos and tranquility. She explains that Turkey is very rich in handmade ornaments and she feels proud to be able to use them in her work and take part in getting them recognized by foreigners.
After working for several years as a graphic designer, Ceylan started drawing and having exhibitions. “I was always amazed by colours and creativity,” she says.
Painting mostly women it drew her subconsciously to fashion. After realizing her enjoyment painting characters in a fashionable way, she decided to learn pattern and clothes making as another way to express her art. Ceylan moved to Milan four years ago where she attended Instituto di Moda Burgo to study a degree in fashion.
Ceylan enjoys sourcing materials for her collections. “Everytime I visit my fabric supplier, I go crazy. I feel like buying everything!” she says, but mostly she loves when her customers show their appreciation because “in the end what we create is a part of ourselves and our imagination.”
She uses traditional, extremely light, Turkish cotton in her ‘By Sunshine’ tunic collection which has many colours and patterns and linen and lace in her “By Sunset” collection. Her new collection includes velvet tunics for winter. She also has a collection of summer pastel coloured tunics that are made to go well with any coloured bikini.
“My designs and fabrics are very feminine and soft looking, so I think any women, feeling sensual, would feel comfortable in them… I want my customers to touch my fabrics and just want to wear them.
“I like my designs to have a fresh look and make people happy when they wear it. I have an easygoing personality and I think this is what I want to emphasize on my brand,” says Ceylan about her design philosophy.
Ceylan reveals her secret dream for the future. She is hoping to prepare a collection with the prints of her art work characters, ‘Stella Maris’ and ‘Drina’, on the cotton fabrics.
Anyone who would like to buy Ceylan Insel designs should visit Farfalla Boutique in Milan or Lushe Boutique in Cihangir, Istanbul or on TellusFashion. She also makes bespoke tunics so that clients can have something personal.