Known today as one of the most recognized brand names for luxury clothing, Vakko was founded in 1934 as a small hat shop called Sen Sapka (Merry Hats). The name changed to Vakko shortly thereafter and the company started producing scarves using Turkish silk, cotton and wool. A small silk screening workshop was founded in the Kurtulus district of Istanbul, which Vakko still uses today. In addition …
When in Istanbul, a tour of the local fashion houses is a must for exploring Turkey’s cultural heritage. Two of my favorite are Armaggan and Vakko. Armaggan has two locations, one in the high-end shopping district of Nisantasi, and a second on Nuruosmaniye Avenue, near the Grand Bazaar. The multi-level store sells items as varied as Turkish crafts, towels and linens, leather goods, high-end jewelry, …
This will be my first post after having returned from a week in Istanbul, Turkey. As I start to organize my notes, I will start with a short post on Turkish coffee. We were in Istanbul primarily for a conference, and it was through one of the many off-sites organized by the conference that we were treated to an introduction on Turkish coffee and the …
We just spent an eventful President’s Day weekend with friends who live in Aspen village. This was a family trip so we avoided the late nights at the Caribou Club, and instead were fresh and ready every morning to put in full ski days while the kids were at ski school at nearby Buttermilk Mountain. As you can tell from my Telluride post, I love …
We have three family ski trips planned this winter/spring season, the first of which was to Telluride, Colorado. Telluride is one of my favorite ski resorts in North America for its natural beauty, the charm of the old mining town with its rows of Victorian homes, and, most importantly, the on-mountain dining. I fell hard for Telluride after Alpino Vino opened in 2009, and have …
After losing my mother to a terminal illness in June of 2011, I struggled, for the first time in my life, with finding joy. Starting a blog is my way of letting go of the grief, and at the same time, celebrating everything for which I am deeply grateful: my four talented and loving siblings, my loyal and supportive husband, my three precious children, and …
