By Lauren Hill
“Textiles were an integral part of my family life and home for a century,” says Haremlique Co-Founder Caroline N. Koç, who created the company in 2007 in partnership with designer N. Banu Yentür. “From an early age I was surrounded with cotton, wool, yarns, weaving and printing, all aspects of textiles… It’s a heritage that I am very proud of.”
This connection to Turkey is at the core of the brand, and even its name: “The Harem symbolizes privacy—it was the most private quarter of the Ottoman palaces,” Koç explains. “We believe that the most intimate spaces deserve to be decorated with the finest and most precious products.” These resonant and deeply personal cultural references have guided her business for the last 15 years: “To celebrate this history, artisanal craftsmanship and to bring the reputation of ‘Made in Turkey’ to a broader international clientele is what I sought out to do with Haremlique.”
The brand’s second international boutique—following the opening of a store at the nearby Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club—has just made its entry to Bal Harbour Shops with the full range of bed and bath linens, quilts, throws, towels and accessories, along with a curated selection of the resort collection, Haremlique a la Mer, including beach towels and caftans.
“The new store is a continuation of the identity and concept behind Haremlique,” says Koç. “Private spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms are sanctums where the feelings of calm, peace and relaxation are emphasized. The store is a tranquil oasis where people can indulge themselves for their home and their most cherished spaces.” Haremlique also provides a customized service that offers the option of personalized and made-to-measure linen for yachts and homes.
Together, Koç and Yentür strive to preserve their cultural values and traditions, paying homage to Turkish creative traditions while also taking inspiration from Istanbul’s modern identity.
The products in each of the brand’s collections stand out for their timeless style that fuses traditional motifs with modern aesthetics and innovation with high-quality craftsmanship. Inspiration for the newest collection stems from the beauty of the Bosphorus and, as Koç describes, the feeling of the cool breeze in the gardens of the Sultan’s hunting lodges by the water, lined by linden trees.