Turkish homeware brand Karaca has opened its first store in the UK this November, in North London’s Islington Square.
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| Images L-R: Karaca X Chalayan Limited Edition Tableware Collection; Karaca Home 4 Elements 100% Turkish Cotton Bedspread Set; Karaca Stainless Steel Induction Cookware |
Occupying a curated space spanning 2,641sq ft. designed with reclaimed wooden pallets, the store is offering an emporium of more than a thousand design-led high-quality home products, ranging from everyday living to luxury pieces, including tableware, cookware, bedding, home accessories and small appliances just in time for this festive season.
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Hussein Chalayan MBE's limited edition tableware collection for KARACA is crafted from ground pearl.
The items are designed to nest and slot together to create sculptural compositions. |
Among its most notable high-end homewares will be a limited edition of sculptural tableware collection designed by UK-based visionary award-winning fashion designer Hussein Chalayan**. Crafted from ground pearl, which is a specialty of Karaca, Chalayan's tableware collection was formally launched in September 2022 at the Design London trade fair, combining beauty of form with functionality that won it the accolade Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022.
The tableware collection encompasses two six-piece sets, for dinner and breakfast, featuring items that fit together in architecturally inspired forms.
The Digital Pearl single dinnerware set, made in ground pearl, exhibits Chalayan’s artistic vision. Each piece stacks together perfectly to create an eye-catching pyramid, that’s both functional and contemporary.
The Poly Breakfast set, made from porcelain and in white, black, and beige, reflects Chalayan’s modern perspective. The concentric circles allow plates and cups to be linked with one another in different ways, giving consumers the creative freedom to shape their breakfast table according to taste.
Chalayan comments: “Our idea with this collection was to foster a playful and interactive relationship between the user and the form. The Digital Pearl set can be used vertically where the plates and cups overlap to form a pyramid shape. Setting the pyramid on your table adds an architectural, graphic dimension to your dining experience. Meanwhile, The Poly Breakfast set is an interweaved collection. The products can be combined and displayed in a multitude of ways, each time creating different shapes and forms depending on the preference of the individual.”
Karaca has set its sights on growth on a global scale, while it now operates from over 375 dedicated stores and more than 1,100 concessions in Europe and around the world.
Cihangir Çetintırnak, Managing Director UK at Karaca said: “As we look to debut our first store in the UK, we are excited to start our bricks-and-mortar journey in one of London’s most dynamic retail destinations. Having grown our business here online, we are confident that opening in Islington Square is the right next step for our brand’s evolution as we meet our customers in person and offer our world class homeware in a first-class space.”
**Born in Nicosia, Cyprus, Hussein Chalayan graduated from London's Central St Martins College of Art and Design in 1993 and his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by British fashion boutique Browns to exhibit in their window. He soon established his independent design label in 1994 and by 1997 was designing TSE's New York Collection.
Chalayan's contribution to the fashion industry is widely recognised. Twice voted British Designer of the Year, Chalayan was named one of the top 100 fashion icons of all time by Time Magazine, and in June 2006, he was awarded an MBE. His work appears in some of the most famous museums in the world, including London's Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Design Museum. He has won fans of bold fashion, from Björk to Lady Gaga. He was appointed Head of Fashion at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in 2014, a post he held for five years.
Images courtesy of Karaca
