Begüm Khan's upbringing in a family of art collectors has done much to nurture her love of creative expression. The Turkish designer began her journey in the jewelry and fashion world when her self-named collection entered the industry arena in 2011, sprouting up near the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, Turkey.
Khan's work features inspiration from the Ottoman Empire and Southeast Asian culture. She combines both bronze and 24-karat gold with aquamarine, rubies, and pearls to create a wonderfully opulent offering. Khan had originally designed cufflinks, then continued with other types of pieces. Her first design was gifted to her brother as a wedding present.
In her interview with Forbes, Khan spoke of her distinct style among other things, saying "I think I have a contemporary approach the design with a timeless aesthetic in my mind. It is very important to me that a piece I made today is wearable today but at the same time it should be still relevant after 20 years. And sense of humor is key for me for both life and design."
"We have customers from all around the World. They are all very different and very individual," Khan said of her target demographic, "But I think what they share in common is their courage to be who they really are, their elegance to have a unique style and their boldness to be different from everyone else. They are women I admire and I get inspired to design. I am very lucky to have met them through my brand."
When asked about the first piece of jewelry she's ever created, Khan said that the "First earrings I ever designed were ‘Caretta Party Earrings’ which still today are a best-seller. I had designed an oversized turtle as a big lapel pin for a friend’s tuxedo. Then I thought this huge turtle would actually look very good on my ears for a party I was going in Venice. Then I thought I needed a gold touch. And Voila! I added the golden ball and first piece of women collection was born."
Information originally sourced from Forbes.
