Designer Spotlight: Asli Filinta

Asli Filinta’s designs are both eccentric and optimistic, so no wonder her latest (Spring 2009) collection is called Monkey Town. Where does she find inspiration? Primarily from her native Turkey and the markets of Istanbul. Though she is originally from the Turkish town of Adana, Istanbul is her biggest source of inspiration – the history, culture, the sights and sounds of the city. She is excited by special fabrics from Turkey, since she gets the culture behind it. Even her favorite period in fashion history is from the glamorous Ottoman Empire times – all the sultan costumes. She is quite a spontaneous traveler, but when she roams the world it’s the cultures that she loves to see. Enter her fascination with Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, or Kapalicarsi, one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 6,000 shops. Asli says most people enter the bazaar through the “Nuruosmaniye Gate” (meaning “the light of the Ottomans”). Once you enter, she suggests you look at the ceiling, look for something special. Finding beauty in what’s around you perhaps makes someone like her such a unique spirit.

Ms. Filinta didn’t jump into fashion at an early age, but rather started with a degree in Economics from Bilkent University. She says this knowledge of economics really helped her in developing her brand, first with accessories and then adding in a clothing line. Asli soon moved to Istanbul and started designing jewelry and prints. Then came a move to New York where she studied design at the famed Parson’s, the New School of Design, and Fashion Institute of Technology. New York is still the town she loves – as she says, the scenes are always developing, independent and crazy, just like art, design, and music. Plus, New York always gives you a chance; it’s a place open to new ideas.

Asli Filinta is lucky because she designs for a living and lives for design, and it is rare to love what you do for a living. How does she describe her new collection? Very simply in an ode to Istanbul:

Oh, do we want more blend of life, design, sound, history, culture, fun, language, corps… before we name it MONKEY TOWN? Whatever you name it, it’s all the same. same. same. And do we want messages? well no. but Mix dreams, Listen sounds, Open your own doors, Get what’s yours today. Flex your muscles, Paint those lips, Flick your hair, Be Yourself + Be just plain fabulous. Go Na na na na na, Go Bananas, Go Istanbul.

Au Revoir Simone and Charlotte Gainsbourg are already wearing her hats and Asli hopes will soon wear her new clothing pieces, as well as Bjork, who is a perfect fit for this quirky work.

Someone so non-conformist, not surprisingly, is not a follower of trends, though Asli admits her favoring of the navy velvet for next season. You will typically see her in her Isabel Marant shirt and black skinny jeans. When asked for advice on looking unique, Ms. Filinta suggests women wear uniquely designed hats. I wonder why women don’t wear hats as much anymore. Remember previous centuries, or even as recent as the 60s when everyone just had to have a hat, and the more unique, the better. Then it just became an accessory for events (like polo or horse racing) and for cold weather. What happened to the hat being another piece of your ensemble? I am getting off track here, but I second that you should try a designer hat. Asli’s hats are quite spectacular – exotic and unconventional.

Asli designs in the moment and this bring her so much closer to other arts, such as music. She admits she wants to write music but is currently teaching herself how to play keyboards.
She even gives each piece of her collection a name of the song she is listening to when designing, such as “Strawberry Fields” or “Eye of the Tiger”. Filinta is a big part of the independent movie and music scene in New York but it is the musician that comes from her native Turkey – Ahmet Ertegun – she would like to speak to if she could. If you saw Scorcese’s recent documentary, “Shine a Light”, you probably witnessed his great performance, but what you didn’t see was his fall backstage that ultimately led to his death in 2006. Ahmet Ertegun is a huge figure in music history – co-founder of the Atlantic Records and chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he penned and played many jazz and blues greats, such as “Mess Around” made popular by Ray Charles. It is this persevering and rare music personality that has been an important influence on Asli Filinta.

Asli’s design focus has been on accessories and clothing, and it is the blend of these that makes her new line so original. Let’s hope her dream comes true and she gets to be a serious contestant in the LONGUE FRESH competition with her line “AsliFilinta Istanbul” in Who’s Next, January 29- February 1st, 2009 in Porte de Versailles, Paris.

You can find Asli Filinta’s designs online on her website www.aslifilinta.com, as well as at the following stores:

New York

Dernier Cri, 869 Washington Street, Meat Packing District, New York, NY 10014
Pixie Market, 100 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002, www.pixiemarket.com
Thistle & Clover, 221 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11205, www.thistleclover.com
SUCRE, www.sucrenyc.com

Los Angeles

Pixie Market, 7950 west 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048, www.pixiemarket.com
Em & Co, 7940 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048, www.emandco.com
Zainab Boutique, www.zainabonline.com

Seattle