Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu founded the company that bears her name in 1995. That name swiftly became synonymous with a style that is both bold and comfortable, and references the past in a contemporary way. Zeynep’s approach is best explained by her unique upbringing.   Her family lived in an Italian palazzo on the European shores of Istanbul’s Bosphorus Straits with a view of Asia spread before them. As a child she was surrounded by Sevres and Meissen, and the odd piece of Fabergé. There were also Ottoman furnishings, as well as locally-crafted pieces from the neighbourhood carpenter. In summer, Zeynep swam races with the fishermen’s kids. In winter she went skiing in the mountains, became a national downhill champion, “faster than the men.” Not surprisingly, Zeynep glides effortlessly through a myriad of cultural influences. She brings to her work a natural confidence and intimacy. There is a fearlessness and a sense of movement, a love of color and texture, and a deep appreciation of the relation between space and light. Zeynep’s work is individual, and immediately recognisable, yet it emerges naturally from her clients’ own needs and personality. If she takes them somewhere unexpected, in their hearts it is where they always wanted to be.