Founders
MOTHER DAUGHTER DUO
Our story is about a strong bond between a mother and a daughter, who have been through some tough times and come out stronger together. For us, life is all about family, sharing, love, trust, dreams, and happiness, and we find all that in making hats and sharing them with the world. We are two entrepreneurial women who started a dream in Istanbul in 2011. The dream grew bigger, and with the strength of our bond and belief in each other, we packed everything and moved to London in 2016, chasing our dream. We know how lucky we are to have each other and have such an amazing relationship, so we try to reflect that in all our projects, but especially in our hats.
LOVE OF HATS
As a mother and daughter, we are both vintage style lovers. From the 1920s “flappers” to the 1960s “modern women”, the styles and the details in everything are something to be adored. We have a keen eye for detail when it comes to tailoring, thanks to our grandmother, Kubra. Hand stitching and good quality fabrics mean long-lasting garments.
We started our story to create garments with quality over quantity in mind. The truth is, we have some amazing designers and tailors in Turkey, so it was impossible to compete with that. Well, while we were working on different aspects of fashion, the empty space for hats in the Turkish Fashion world and the freedom of hat-making were irresistible, especially because we both loved hats anyway. So we decided to set up our business.
GRANDMOTHER
Even though she left us before we launched Merve Bayindir millinery, it would be unfair not to mention Grandmother Kubra, who taught both of us how to tailor. She graduated from a kind of ladies' school called an institution back in her time in Turkey. The school taught ladies how to be tailors and cooks, and to take care of their households as well as themselves. Grandmother made sure to pass these on to her daughter and granddaughter.
MOTHER
Yasemin Bayindir, daughter of a veterinarian father and a graduate of the Institute of Villages, a pioneering educational institution for young women in Turkey at the time, was born in Pasinler on 16 September 1957. She graduated from Boğaziçi University with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1980. A lifelong entrepreneur and a strong feminist, Yasemin has always combined a sharp business mind with an instinctive need to create. Her interests have ranged from oil portraiture and making stuffed toys to baking and, inevitably, dreaming up her next business idea. A mother of two and grandmother of two, she has an elegant, sleek and refined aesthetic that has become an integral part of the Merve Bayindir identity. After a lifelong relationship with design, craftsmanship and creation, Yasemin brought her entrepreneurial spirit into fashion, becoming a founding force behind the brand. Today, she remains an active partner in Merve Bayindir, contributing across design, making and the business itself.
DAUGHTER
Merve Bayindir, daughter of an interior designer father and an industrial engineer mother. Born in Istanbul in November 1980. Graduated from York University with honours in Psychology and Humanities. Loves all animals, writes children's stories, and is the mother of a dog. After working in her own sector, growing up in a home filled with arts and craftsmanship, she decided to change her occupation to her passion and started working as a couture designer and moved on to hats. She has a constantly changing style in accordance with her mood, but always with a touch of vintage inspiration that reflects on the brand.