We chose fabrics that resembled the fabrics of the period; we applied the motifs in exactly the same way. When I examined the caftans, I was very impressed by the delicate stitching, all of which was done by hand. Not one of today’s state-of-the-art machines can sew like that.” Experts like Nurhan Atasoy, Metin And, Hülya Tezcan, Önder Küçükerman, Esin Anil, Gül Irepoglu and Sabahattin Türkoglu served as project consultants on Ottoman costumes, mores and traditions. The designs used in the embroidery and the accessories are the work of costume designer, Nihal Kaya.
The story told by the ‘Garments of the Sultan’ collection begins in the 13th century. “We organized the garments according to a script”, says Saraç. “When the Turks migrated to Anatolia, the colors and textures they brought with them encountered the indigenous culture of Anatolia, which merged in Istanbul with Byzantine Christian culture to produce the Ottoman style of clothing.