BIOGRAPHY

My Name is Firat Oğuz. I am a clothes designer based in Istanbul.

My family have always worked in the textile industry in Turkey. As a young boy I was surrounded by colourful fabrics, the hum of sewing machines and the chatter of people stitching. The cutting and pattern making workshops were my playground.

My father always encouraged me to take an interest in all the processes of textile work; from the first drawings to the finished product.

As I grew up my focus of interest became the first stages of the creative process, from the initial design to the artistry of the fabric created for clothing.

My training was in a design school in Istanbul, with a focus on high fashion. I developed my own brand early in my career and have sold mainly to countries in the East.

I was inspired by all I saw around me.

However, as the years passed I became more interested in Western design styles and I feel that now I have developed a fusion of work that is more representative of my love for both the east and the west. I am now focusing on designing clothes for a unique market that appreciates the artistry of style and fabric design whilst demanding a high quality of workmanship.

My company, Lavender Hands, is a bespoke service for the discerning Market.

My business is based both in Istanbul and in Toulouse, France with a new English business partner, Olwyn Foot who works between the UK, France and Istanbul. This, we hope, will broaden the Lavender Hands market to Europe.