Over the course of my more than 10-year career as an architect and designer, I have built an impressive portfolio of collaborations with numerous well-known brands, ranging from hotel chains like Marriott and Radisson to Yandex, Mercedes-Benz, and leading banks. Recently, a new chapter unfolded in my professional journey: I have relocated to Istanbul, where I launched my own furniture brand for public spaces called Local Made.
About the background and the reasons for launching the brand.
Before launching the brand in Turkey, I already had experience starting my own projects. In 2022, together with partners, I founded the furniture company Alot. The pandemic partly influenced this decision, as importing furniture from Europe became much more challenging. To address this, I created a Telegram chat where I shared information about cool Russian furniture and lighting brands. Later on, we started developing the first sketches for our own project. Additionally, even before Alot, I collaborated with colleagues from Today & Laboratory to create acoustic solutions for offices under the project name KIT.WORKS.
Before starting my company, I spent six months exploring the Turkish furniture market and getting to know potential partners.
In 2022, I shifted my focus to the U.S. market, dedicating six months to studying the local industry and getting to know architects, designers, and founders of furniture brands in the area. After returning from the States, my determination to launch my own international company solidified. I decided to set up production in Turkey due to its proximity to Europe, convenient logistics, and excellent quality standards. Another six months went into studying the Turkish market and building relationships with potential partners in the architectural design and manufacturing fields.
I believe that in a few years, the Local Made brand will take a leading position in its niche. Our primary focus is on chairs, armchairs, and sofas for commercial interiors. Many of the projects we work on share typology and aesthetics with models from my previous ventures, and that's natural. The design of these pieces is driven by market demand and my personal inclination towards minimalism. Today, we have the capability to produce almost any model, which greatly expands our design possibilities.
Constant research and data analysis during the brand's launch led me to the idea of creating a design community. Within the framework of the Local Made project, I invite young designers to collaborate, where I organize production and handle all the business processes, helping them bring their own ideas to life. I firmly believe that the coolest projects are not born in isolation but through collaborative creativity. My aim is to create a global community of designers. Currently, I am also in negotiations with several universities in Istanbul to organize thematic workshops.
About new location
Why Istanbul? Well, I absolutely love this city and have always wanted to live here. It's got this dynamic energy that reminds me of Moscow, making it even more special to me.
And you know what? Moving here opened doors for me in other big metropolises too. Sometimes, you just need to have a "conversation" with a city, and it helps you grow and develop.
So, Istanbul is not only the perfect place to launch my project, but it's also a gateway to other exciting opportunities. Living here lets me expand my horizons and create something truly unique for my brand.
You can practically reach any point in Eurasia within four hours from Istanbul. This city is bursting with cultural events and is a hub for interesting creative projects. Most importantly, there are some impressive furniture brands here, giving tough competition to European companies in terms of quality and aesthetics.
Turkey boasts an enormous number of furniture factories and production facilities. Just in Istanbul alone, there are around 50, and there are approximately 200 more in Bursa and Ankara. The industrial center of the country is Inegol, where major furniture exhibitions take place. So, there's a lot happening in the world of furniture here in Turkiye!
Right now, I'm diving into learning Turkish so I can have direct conversations with suppliers and partners. Knowing the language is handy, but to really build those trusty relationships with companies, having the support of local friends is crucial.
About community
During my time here, I've had the chance to meet loads of designers and architects. Some I already knew from our collaborations on architectural projects, while with others, I've been building connections from scratch. It's been an amazing journey of networking!
Another great thing about Istanbul is the presence of major technology parks and incubators that can help with investments and company growth. I applied for one of those programs, but unfortunately, I didn't make it through due to not having a Turkish language certificate. The cool part is that all these programs are free, funded by the city and private companies.
One more thing I love about this country is its vibrant creative community. There are so many unique projects and organizations, like a community of architects who restore abandoned places and integrate furniture and art objects into the urban environment, collaborating with big brands. It's just awesome to see such a thriving creative scene here!
Amazing world of Turkish design!
About future
Today, Turkish brands are on the move, aiming to conquer the Western and American markets! Many people in London, Dubai, and New York already know about the brand PARLA, and now other brands are emerging too. The economic situation makes importing goods into Turkey quite expensive. As for exports, it comes with its own set of challenges. When dealing with organizational clients, logistics and related processes are relatively straightforward. However, for private customers, they might have to handle customs clearance themselves or rely on specialized companies to take care of it. It's a dynamic market, Turkish brands provide delivery globally.
There is the production of millions of goods, and you can find fantastic partners for manufacturing and sourcing in Turkey. The field of material processing is evolving dynamically too! For instance, my good friends at Studio Blai create functional panels from recycled plastic. It's truly inspiring to see how the industry is embracing sustainability and innovation!
I absolutely love the trend of working across two or more offices in different countries! For the past five years, I've been working in a hybrid format, managing projects remotely in Europe and the USA, while my clients and partners are scattered all over the world. Our team members are currently living in different cities, but we stay connected all the time, and we have great discipline when it comes to meeting deadlines.
However, to oversee production, it's important to be on-site, which is why in the near future, I'd love to open an office and warehouse in Istanbul. Having a local presence would be fantastic for our operations!