My dear fashionistas and travelers, today I am taking you again to Istanbul. In today’s fashion story, you will enjoy a stylish walk along the Turkish cobbled streets of the old part of Istanbul – Sultanahmet. This is the last fashion story from Istanbul, next week a shopping guide awaits you, I will try my best to give you the beauty of shopping in this imperial city on two continents.
Sultanahmet Square, once known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, is today a square in Istanbul, in the immediate vicinity of which are the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Previously, it was a circus that was the sports and social center of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos (ippos) – horse and dromos – road. For this reason, it is sometimes called Atmeidanı (“Horse Square”) in Turkish. Horse and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world, and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
From Taksim Square to Sultanahmet Square, it is very easy to get there with the help of the tram, and in a few stops you will be in the center of the old city.
The Blue Mosque of Istanbul, also known by its official formal name, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is a historic Ottoman-era imperial mosque located in the center of the old part of the city. A functional mosque, it also attracts a large number of tourists. It was built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Ahmed I.
Its Kulije contains Ahmed’s grave, a madrasa and a hospice. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the interior walls of the mosque, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight side domes. It is located next to Hagia Sophia, the main mosque in Istanbul until the construction of the Blue Mosque and another popular tourist spot. In 1985, the Blue Mosque was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name “Historic Areas of Istanbul”.
Hagia Sophia (literal translation ‘Holy Wisdom’), officially the Great Mosque Hagia Sophia is a mosque and the main cultural and historical site in the old part of the city. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Orthodox church that lasted from 360 AD until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. It served as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. Two years ago, in 2020 to be exact, Hagia Sophia became a mosque again.
The current building was built by the Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I as a Christian cathedral in Constantinople for the state church of the Roman Empire between 532 and 537, and was designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralus. The official name of the church was the Church of the Holy Wisdom. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is considered to have “changed the history of architecture”.
The current Justinian building was the third church of the same name to occupy the site, since the previous one was destroyed in the riots in Nicaea. As the episcopal seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, it remained the largest cathedral in the world for almost a thousand years, until the Cathedral of Seville was completed in 1520. Beginning with later Byzantine architecture, the Hagia Sophia became the paradigmatic form of the Orthodox Church and its architectural style modeled on Ottoman mosques a thousand years later. It has been described as “occupying a unique position in the Christian world” and as an architectural and cultural icon of Byzantine and Orthodox civilization.
Since we got acquainted with the history of this old part of the Istanbul, it’s time to write a few words about my outfit. Today we are again meeting with the famous Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli.
Roberto Cavalli is a famous Italian luxury fashion company founded by designer Roberto Cavalli in Osmannore, Florence, during the 1970s. This brand has become famous in the fashion world for its colorful animal prints on leather and textiles. Roberto Cavalli produces and sells haute couture – a first runway line consisting of limited runway models, ready-to-wear products that are divided into several fashion lines, as well as fashion accessories, including handbags, glasses, watches, shoes, perfumes and jewelry. The company also develops an interior design program for high-end buildings and hotels.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2010, Roberto Cavalli fashion house presented an exclusive show collection in Paris, which included most of its iconic dresses for which the brand has become recognizable. In recent years, under the leadership of Roberto Cavalli, the new interior design division Roberto Cavalli Home debuted at the 2012 Salone del Mobile.
The shearling leather jacket you have the opportunity to see in today’s fashion story is a rebellious fashion response to current fashion trends. This show piece, masterpiece is crafted from the finest reindeer leather with an arctic fox collar from the latest Autumn/Winter 2022/23 collection.
The Roberto Cavalli Group’s fashion world includes the following brand lines:
- Roberto Cavalli: a historic collection of evening dresses. This is the first line of the brand and the new era has introduced everyday clothing and accessories, including shoes, handbags, leather goods and jewelry.
- Just Cavalli: brand launched in 1998, this is a more affordable line compared to haute couture lines.
- Cavalli Class: a line of clothing and fashion accessories for women and men.
- Roberto Cavalli Junior: the brand’s line for boys and girls.
- Roberto Cavalli Home: officially presented in 2012 at the Salone del Mobile di Milano, the interior collections were developed in collaboration with Made in Italy partners. Home furnishing line: a line of furniture, wallpaper, tiles, home textiles, lamps and accessories made of Made in Murano glasses.
If you want to stay updated and find out what the Roberto Cavalli brand has in store for the new fashion season, visit their official online store and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
There is no person in the world who can hide the joy when feels the smell of new Italian leather. Today we reunite with the Italian family-owned glove workshop Restelli, a place where art, tradition and the beauty of handicrafts meet every day, which is the true definition of Italian style and way of life. Making gloves is not only a job but also a true art. After 100 years, passion, emotions, tradition and knowledge have been passed on to the third generation! Rafaela Restelli has fully embraced the challenges of a new fashion era where the market and way of selling has changed with a deep respect and belief in tradition and love for masterpieces that last!
In today’s post, you had the opportunity to see Restelli gloves made of special peccary leather. These luxurious leather gloves are made of the highest quality leather. The lining of these gloves is made of cashmere. It got a little cold during my visit to Istanbul, so I decided to better protect my hands and walk around in my unusual cognac-colored gloves, which were extremely warm and the right fashion accessory for this unexpected cold in the imperial city on two continents.
Restelli gloves are not valued by money but by tradition and history full of love and patience that have no price.
As a person for whom traveling has become something more than a passionate hobby, I must admit that a backpack is my best friend. I believe you all recognized Bric’s backpack from the Life Pelle collection, which this time came back to Istanbul with me. Bric’s is a prestigious Italian brand of travel goods with which you can feel the ease of traveling with unique and elegant suitcases and fashion accessories. The Life Pelle collection nurtures the beauty of leather pieces that you can travel the world with.
Using only the finest materials such as all-weather micro-suede and plant-tanned leather, Bric’s luggage is built to withstand anything and give you a sense of security and the beauty of travel.
With several flagship stores around the world, Bric’s continues to develop Mario Bricolla dream and become a world-renowned travel brand. Bric’s is a story about family, hard work, craftsmanship and a company where dreams really do come true.
Loro Piana is an Italian company specializing in clothing and textile products. This fashion house is considered the largest producer of cashmere and also the world’s largest artisanal company processing the luxury fiber.
The Loro Piana company has three divisions (textile divisions): a division that deals with the production of high-quality materials using precious fibers such as cashmere and baby cashmere, vicuna, linen and merino wool, a division that deals with the creation of luxury fashion items (production and distribution of men’s, women’s clothing, footwear and fashion accessories) and the interior design department – production and distribution of interior design products.
In today’s post you have the opportunity to see two special pieces (turtleneck sweater and trousers) from the latest men’s Loro Piana Fall-Winter 2022/23 collection, which are just a small part of my favorites this season due to their signature elegance and my love for neutrals and shades of brown. Crafted from 100% of the finest cashmere, this turtleneck is perfect for the man who pays attention to detail and leaves nothing to chance. This turtleneck in a soft beige shade, a color that is perfect for all occasions and can be combined with other colors extremely easily. Classic trousers are always the best travel ally and I’m not separated from my new Loro Piana classic trousers which are made of baby cashmere.
If you want to stay updated and find out what pieces the Loro Piana brand has in its offer, visit their official online store and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
OUTFIT
Shearling Leather Jacket: Roberto Cavalli
Turtleneck Sweater: Loro Piana
Trousers: Loro Piana
Gloves: Restelli Guanti
Sneakers: Valentino via MYTHERESA Men
Everyone who follows the Mr.M blog knows that I am a big fan of quality and interesting shoes, regardless of whether they are sneakers or elegant shoes, I always try to pay maximum attention to fashion details such as footwear. Today we are hanging out with a famous Italian fashion house whose creations are adored all over the world.
Today’s fashion story is special because I have the opportunity to show you a re-edition collection of certain VALENTINO shoes that marked the work of this famous Italian maestro whose masterpieces adorn the shoe cabinets of many celebrities from the world of music, film and entertainment, and even politics! There is no person who has not resisted wearing this designer, regardless of whether it is a person of female or male gender, Valentino Garavani shoes are loved by the whole planet.
If it wasn’t for my friends from MYTHERESA, a shopping platform that is a real fashion treasure trove for all men and women fashion lovers, these shoes wouldn’t be in this blog post on the Mr.M blog today. I am very grateful to the MYTHERESA platform for their trust and wonderful cooperation, and I would like to publicly thank them once again from the bottom of my heart for my Valentino Rockrunner sneakers from the limited collection, which are made of a combination of leather and pony hair.
My dear fashionistas, we have come to the end of this second special fashion story from Istanbul, where together we discovered the beauty and splendor of the rebellious elegance of the Italian elegance of the Roberto Cavalli brand, the prestigious Italian brand Loro Piana, the beauty of winter with the Restelli Guanti brand and the famous Italian footwear brand that is a symbol of timeless elegance and has become a real classic – Valentino Garavani, as well as the prestigious Italian travel accessories brand Bric’s, partners with whom fashion stories are a real adventure. I sincerely hope you got some inspiration for your ideal winter outfit! See you soon and continue our adventures on the Mr.M blog! How did you like my outfit today? I really tried my best to prepare today’s post with lots of love and I hope you like it!
I would like to give special thanks to the staff of Divan Istanbul Hotel for their warm welcome and for hosting me in their hotel. The stay in their hotel was exceptional, where I felt the warmth of home!
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or any message for me, you can write me below in the comments. Of course, as always, you can contact me via email or social media channels, which you can find on the CONTACT page. I’ll see you soon!
With love from Istanbul,
Mr. M
This post is sponsored by the Roberto Cavalli, Loro Piana, MYTHERESA Men, Restelli Guanti and Bric’s brands. This post is my personal and honest review of their products.