Mia Morgan is a highly renowned fashion stylist that has worked with countless celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Beyoncé, and her work has been featured in magazines like InStyle, Marie Claire and The New York Times.
A couple of weeks ago, Mia was invited to Istanbul, Turkey, to host the opening of The Sapphire Tower Mall and to explore Turkish fashion. KING sat down with Mia for some much needed catch up time and got the 411 on her decadent trip!
First, tell us little about why you traveled to Istanbul!
The occasion was Istanbul Fashion Fest 2011 - an annual festival that celebrates Istanbul as a shopping, culture and entertainment center of the world, realized by the Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. I was there as fashion stylist host for the opening of the new Sapphire Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Istanbul and Turkey's first ecological skyscraper. I hosted and ran a ton of events for retailers in the Sapphire Tower mall, fashion media and press. It was an insanely busy trip, but I loved every minute of it!
That sounds amazing, and what an honor! How was your experience of the trip?
It was amazing! I love Istanbul. The people are so warm and welcoming and I had an absolute blast doing makeovers - something I haven't done in a while. Every person I worked with was wonderfully unique, and the transformations were so fun and gratifying to see.
Retailers in the mall put up sections in their stores of my favorite items and new trends. There were beautiful pink placards on display in every store with a check mark in a box that said "Mia Morgan's Pick". I went through every store editing pieces and picking out the best items for spring.
I met the coolest people and made some amazing new friends. They took me to some of the hot restaurants in Turkey and the food was fantastic! I splurged a bit at the Grand Bazaar which was incredible - a feast for the eyes. I bought beautiful, unique local goods, like leather floor pillows, artisan jewelry, spices, and boxes of insanely addictive Turkish Delight. I even managed to get shoes and boots custom made for me. Can you imagine? I was only there for ten days! There were also bargains much too good to pass up. During Shopping Fest, most of the stores had great sales and discounts. Shopping in Istanbul is so much fun!
What did you think of the Turkish fashion? How is fashion regarded in Turkey?
They had a lot of the same trends we see in NY. The heart of Istanbul fashion is very cosmopolitan. But there were tons of stores and brands I'd never seen or heard of. The women in Turkey are very chic. They take great care in dressing themselves, and are very brand aware. The premiere fashion brands have just recently started to really come to Turkey - the last decade or so. I think a lot of the women there are experimenting with different looks and developing their own style. I noticed a preponderance of black and dark clothing so I tried to steer them toward more color in my seminars. It's difficult to break women out of their safety zone, but once they realize the possibilities, their whole outlook changes.
Were there any emerging designers that caught your eye that we might see more of globally? If there are, do you plan to ambassador them?
The quality of leather and exotic skins in Turkey is fantastic. I had the great pleasure of meeting with the very talented handbag designer from Cashhimi. I was blown away by the craftsmanship and high style of the line. Her bags are highly coveted in Turkey and sold in the finest boutiques. I would love to help her in the US - she would neatly fill what I feel is a bit of a void in the market here for what she's doing in Turkey. Celebrities would love them - every woman would love them. The line has everything from day bags to evening bags, in beautiful colors and fine materials and finishes.
I wish I'd had more time specifically to meet local designers but I had a very tight schedule this trip. I did meet some local store owners and discussed possible collaborations going forward. For instance, I would love pursuing a jewelry line that's made in Turkey. I so admire their craftsmanship.
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| Turkish fashion - not so different from NYC-styles! |
How do people in Istanbul use fashion to express themselves?
The chicest people I met were women I worked with or met through friends. The two women I spent most of my time with were both super chic and had wonderful personal style. Local stylist Julide O'Connor was perfectly dressed everyday and I took photos of her for The Fashion Alchemist. She had such great style and mixed high fashion designer pieces with brands like Zara and Mango. I had a pair of boots made after my friend's boots and we call them the Bahar boots - named for her. She was all about studs mixed with casual and hip clothing.
I also met a makeup artist named Georgina Billington who was so chic. She had a great leather jacket with studs on the shoulders and red lips. Super cool and chic. Also, the girls from Elle magazine had great style. The people in the industry there are stylistically, very much like New Yorkers. I felt right at home!
Your brand is well known within the fashion industry here in the US, but how did the Mia Morgan brand resonate in Istanbul, how did people regard you?
Wow, it was amazing! I was blown away by the media coverage - literally from the moment I stepped off the plane, where I was met by a film crew for Fashion TV. I was interviewed for most of the newspapers there, almost daily. Elle magazine is also doing a comprehensive feature on my visit and presentation at the first Elle Style Talks series for their April issue.
Wow, that's fantastic! How will you use the trip to further expand your brand and business in the US?
I made many wonderful connections this trip, and plan to go back. I love seeing how the industry runs in different markets and countries, and in Turkey it's burgeoning while wonderfully integrating their culture, heritage and craftsmanship into fashion. It was inspiring, and I would love nothing better than to bring that here in collaboration with my brands. We'll see, but I look forward to exploring the possibilities there, and in other countries as well.
Mia's Top 5 Istanbul tips:
Favorite Turkish food/restaurant:
Al Jamal, http://www.istanbulview.com/al-jamal/
Retail shop/designer:
Cashhimi handbags, http://www.cashhimi.com/
Music/entertainment:
Part of the city:
Sultanahmet
Nisantasi
Tunel/Galata
Cucurcuma
Favorite find in Istanbul (souvenir etc):
Leather floor pillows and jewelry, especially my big statement rings
And finally - you've already made us want to travel to Istanbul immediately, but can you tell us the best day or moment overall in Istanbul?
Watching the male belly dancers at Al Jamal. Priceless! Also, shopping in the Grand Bazaar. I had a blast selecting cool things for my home and buying exotic spices!
