Rifat Ozbek graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1974 and had founded his own fashion brand by 1984. His label became very successful in Turkey by the end of the nineties. That is when he decided to express his creativity through cushions. Why cushions you might wonder? He says “The cushion is very important. It is a luxury, a thing of beauty, it might have a memory – someone might have given it; someone might have left it; or it might have come with an armchair.”
His first store Yastik (which means cushion in Turkish) opened in Bodrum and Istanbul five years ago. Now with their shop on 8, Holland Street in London, Ozbek and his partner Erdal Karaman are wowing everyone with their individually handcrafted, limited production cushions. Each cushion is like a work of art with a fusion of sumptuous materials, vibrant colours and delicate embroidery. Even the store looks like an art gallery with stark white shelves lined with cushions.
So what exactly is the secret of these cushions? The answer lies in how each cushion is designed. Much thought is given to mixing and matching fabrics. Ozbek chooses from new and antique materials he has collected from his travels all over the world for years. Among these are Anatolian Brazilian flower pattern prints, striped English fabrics, Ottoman silks and African prints. Each cushion is sewn with great care and displays a high level of craftsmanship. Ozbek also adds fragrant dried lavender to the down inside each pillow, so that each time you lean against one of them, you are hit with the fabulously soothing scent which also fills the store.
All images courtesy Yastik by Rifat Ozbek
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