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Designer Diary

daniel-vosovic-in-istanbul

As a member of the CFDA’s Fashion Incubator program, Daniel Vosovic was sent on an inspiration trip to Istanbul. Here, he shares the details of his Turkish getaway with Style.com.

After presenting my Fall 2013 collection in New York in February, I took a break from my design studio and headed off to Istanbul to discover all of Turkey’s delights (and, hopefully, to find inspiration for Spring 2014). Having never been to Istanbul, I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was joined by my boyfriend Kieran, the CFDA’s Johanna Stout and her boyfriend Stewart, and CR Fashion Book online editor (and Style.com alum) Kristin Tice Studeman. With the W Istanbul Hotel as our base camp, we began each day savoring the country’s specialties, like dates and Turkish coffee. Afterward, we would explore the city’s breathtaking landmarks, like the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, and admire the unmatched talents of local artisans. What I treasured most, however, were the little moments spent with local shop owners, who taught me about the making of a Turkish rug, or wandering on to one of the hundreds of crooked side streets in search of an adventure.

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A lesson for Istanbul: Always look up. Some of the most incredible artwork is on the ceiling.

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Searching for Turkish delights—tea and more—at the bustling Spice Market.

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Everything about our trip to the famous Topkapi Palace was inspiring, from the beautiful surrounding grounds to the imperial garments on display, to the gift shop. Yes, I said gift shop! The rich colors in these cups and saucers I picked up especially struck a chord with me.

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The Catmosphere. They were absolutely everywhere!

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Pomegranates, like cats, seem to be on every street corner in Istanbul. It’s hard to miss the invigorating crimson and light red colors of the fruit. They just might have planted a seed for my next collection.

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On our last day in Istanbul, we had lunch overlooking the Yeni Mosque and the Spice Market. It was a great visual to see the city in one breadth—the old, the new, the people, the sea, et cetera.

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