Nisse: Fusion of cultures and style
Nisse is a brand with deep roots in Türkiye, intertwined with its origins reaching back to Canada and even Morocco. Established by Nargisse E. Akyüz in 2012, this fashion label won the hearts of Canadian fashion aficionados first and then charmed Turkish
FOR those witnessing the changing face of the fashion world, some brands have the power to intersect paths even after many years. Founded by Nargisse E. Akyüz in 2012, Nisse stands out as one of these brands, drawing attention through interviews with its founder and chief designer, as well as showroom visits.
Based in Istanbul, Nisse is actually a Canadian luxury ready-to-wear brand. The fact that the brand’s founder, Nargisse E. Akyüz, is of Moroccan descent but Canadian-born provides inspiration for collections from French, Moroccan, Turkish and various other cultures worldwide. Nisse offers original designs crafted from natural fabrics, featuring handiwork such as macrame and crochet, promising pieces that are both unique and timeless.
The brand’s inaugural runway show took place in Canada, and currently, its collections are sold in various locations. Opening up to the Turkish market for production and handiwork has further matured the brand’s presence.
Nisse’s collections stand out with pieces that have unique stories and manage to find long-term places in wardrobes. This distinct brand can be purchased from Beymen and its own website.
Details such as Nargisse E. Akyüz’s story and the design process are also of interest and are eagerly followed in the fashion world.
Nisse’s showroom is located in one of Istanbul’s most authentic neighborhoods, Eyüp. As I slowly make my way through the beautiful spacious floor, examining both the seasonal products and the work they’ve done for upcoming seasons, I head toward the meeting room. It’s a warm space, more akin to a cozy home than a meeting room.
Akyüz greets me at the door with a huge smile. As we start with refreshments, we dive into discussions about the city, fashion and recent projects. She gently shows me her workspace, saying with a smile: “I work 24/7. I haven’t had the chance to decorate my room yet.”
When you enter a place, you can tell who is working to what extent, and who is pretending to work. The moment you meet Akyüz, you understand that she is passionate about her work, and she is involved in every aspect of her brand’s processes down to the smallest detail. Every detail reflects her, her roots and her fashion education.
“I’ve been in Türkiye for almost 20 years. I speak Turkish quite well, but I prefer to conduct interviews in English,” she said, and this interview, conducted in a mixture of English, Turkish and French, holds a special place in my memory.
She began explaining her story, saying: “I studied advertising. I came to Istanbul after getting married. I took Turkish lessons because I wanted to work in advertising, but naturally, knowing only one language is not enough to understand all that culture instantly. You need to know that culture to create something related to advertising. So, I looked for a field where I could create something unrelated to language. Fashion came to my rescue. I studied fashion at LaSalle. I founded my brand in 2012. I just wanted to start and produce something.
“I sent what I produced to my sister in Canada. She was working for television channels. They started asking about what she was wearing. Then the clothes were used on a kind of fashion channel. Then a pop-up store opened, then they liked the designs and invited the brand to Fashion Week in Canada.
“I’m telling you very quickly, but of course, these were fascinating steps. We got ready for fashion week in a short time, and the collection was liked. The fashion week organizing team coincidentally visited that pop-up store. If they hadn’t, this whole process wouldn’t have started. It’s all about luck.”
“For example, when my sister received this offer, she immediately said on my behalf, ‘Yes, of course, we would love to participate.’ Fashion weeks were three weeks after the date they invited us. By the way, at that time I had a new baby. We said, ‘We can do this job together,’ and we had a very successful fashion week.