Happy Weekend!
I want to wish everyone a lovely weekend and leave you with some gorgeous images from a 2007 Has Hali ad campaign, photography by the great Michelangelo Di Battista shot in the grand Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. I've been learning a lot about the Turkish culture lately as I recently made a new friend named Esra who has been so, so kind to me and doing a lot of really nice things to make me feel at home in Hannover. Esra was born in Germany but her entire family is Turkish and she frequently travels to Istanbul to see them and to shop the bazaars and find inspiration. She takes great pride in her cultural heritage and tells me many stories of life in Istanbul which has left me intrigued... I want to know more.
Notice the lovely doves? And of course, the stunning Polish model Iza Olak...
Esra is really talented, not only does she hold a degree in law but is currently working on another in public relations. In addition to this, she designs jewelry and is employed by Clinique in Germany so her makeup is absolute perfection. If that were not enough, she also maintains a blog called Sultanissima. She is my link to Has Hali and this ad campaign. The other evening we were together and she shared these photos with me and wow, I could not stop thinking about it after she parted. I am learning so much about Turkish culture being in Germany (so many live here) that I am now longing more than ever before to travel there. It's only 2.5 hours by plane to Istanbul from here, so maybe next year I will go... But for now I will travel to Istanbul through the eyes of Italian photographer Michelangelo Di Battista into the corridors of the Topkapi Palace and through the dear Esra.
Can you imagine living like this?
Thank you Esra for opening my eyes to your culture and to this beautiful ad campaign of the great Has Hali. These photos are so enchanting and the lighting is just beautiful... Wow. This totally put me in a more Autumn state of mind with all these dark, rich hues and embroidered textiles.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
(images courtesy of Ads of the World)