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“Currently, Istanbul is in fashion,” said Ege. “We started designing 18 years ago and I remember that, when I said “Istanbul,” everyone remembered the movie Midnight Express.” However, she added, now this trend has changed. “There has been a big change thanks to the fashion industry in Turkey.” Noting that Dice Kayek had had some influence on the current situation in Turkey, Ege said: “We did a lot to change the perception of Turkey in Europe”.
Mainly situated in Turkey, the creators of Dice Kayek, Ayşe and Ece Ege, are sisters who live in Paris and Istanbul.
“Our production facility is situated in Bursa, in Turkey. We are producing everything there and are proud to carry dresses which say “Made in Turkey” on them.”
At first the designers faced difficulties in France. “No one wanted to buy dresses or designs that had “Made in Turkey” written on them.” But later on this changed. Because we have never given up.”
“If people love the designs, they will wear Dice Kayek designs as they are, meaning, with the label “Made in Turkey,” she added.
The “Made in Turkey” label has actually become very precious and valuable, according to Ege. “Now, everyone is looking for designs and clothes which have the “Made in Turkey” label on them,” she said.
It is very important to create a fashion press, according to Ege. “In Europe there is a fashion press, because fashion is a large industry,” she said.
Noting that a member of the fashion press should first follow the fast retail and fast fashion, Ege said: “First of all, people should follow fashion, because it is very fast.” However, she added that she and her sister did not like the speed of the industry. “It is hard,” she said, adding, “Imagine that you have to create summer designs when it snows, it is demanding job.”
With the current developments in the industry, this becomes harder “because everything gets faster.”
Dice Kayek’s collection interprets the modern faces of historical Istanbul from an opposite angle. The collection presents the contrast of these values through 26 different designs, each garment symbolizing a different vision of Istanbul.
The exhibition features silhouettes from the magical beauty of the Dolmabahçe Palace in a dress adorned with lace and the wrought iron of the Galata Bridge in a jacket entirely embroidered with metal scales. While “Dome,” “Dove,” “Turkish Delight,” “Topkapı,” “Tulip,” “Haghia Sofia,” “Caftan” and “Bosphorus” are few of the dresses we can see at the exhibition.
Speaking about the collaboration between fashion and art, Ece Ege said: “Currently, lots of things are happening in terms of such a collaboration.”
There are many artists, who are working for fashion houses, she added. Fashion is a large industry and there is place for everyone. Art and fashion have one thing in common and it is creative mind, according to Ege.
“However, these two concepts differ from each other. Because in fashion you have to create something to consume in a very short period of time, whereas in art this is just the opposite.”
Noting that they choose to work with Arik Levy, an industrial designer, during the creation of their instillations in the Istanbul Contrast exhibition, Ege said: “Arik Levy created logs as installations.”
Logs signify crystals and they grow to the sky, and these logs are reflections of the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. The main idea lies behind the relation between water and the city.
“Our dresses in the “Istanbul Contrast” exhibition come alive within those logs,” said Ege.
The tunnels stand for the mystery of Istanbul. Each time you look at the dresses through the tunnels you have the possibility to see the works of Dice Kayek from a different perspective.
“Because the Logforest installation opens into another dimension at the venue,” said Ege.
All the logs have mathematical scales. Logs do not stand direct. “That’s why we need Arik Levy to reflect this perspective in our exhibition,” added Ege.
There is a contrast in the exhibition. Logs are very masculine, whereas the dresses of Dice Kayek are romantic and just the opposite. “That’s why the name of the exhibition is Istanbul Contrast”,” said Ege.
The exhibition also reflects life in Istanbul, according to Ege. Life in Istanbul is chaotic and full of hardships but in fact you are living in a very transitive place.
The first idea of the Logforest installation does not come from a physical feature, according to Arik Levy.
“It is an emotional concept. I tried to create a very close approximation of the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. My inspiration was the sound at the cistern,” said Levy.
“If you close your eyes and listen in that space, you realize that there is darkness but also floating water.”
The piece of installation that Arik Levy created for Dice Kayek is a timeless piece. “It belongs to the air,” he said, adding, “There is no beginning or end. You begin the exhibition and you can not see the end. You have to walk through the Logforest.”
“Each time you walk between the logs you discover something new,” Levy added. The installation is like a dark forest and anyone can lose him or herself in it. Maybe the dresses are the only light, and show the way for the viewers.