Alphan Eseli
Director/ Photographer/ Co- Founder of Istanbul74
Alphan Eseli did his MA degree on filmmaking at the New York Institute of Technology. He started directing commercials and music videos and returned to Istanbul in 2003. In 2006 he won at the prestigious Kristal Elma “Basari Belgesi” for best director and also was a finalist in the London Advertising Awards and the New York International Awards. In 2009 Alphan Eseli co- founded Istanbul 74 together with Anthony Todd.
Daphne Guinness
Fashionista
Guinness is prominent in the fashion world as a style icon, journalist and noted collector of Haute couture. She has an interest in the use of armor in fashion. She was a model in Naomi Campbell’s Fashion For Relief runway show for The White Ribbon Alliance to raise funds for mothers in Haiti in 2010. In September 2010, NARS Cosmetics will launch a new collection dedicated to her.
Elif Shafak
Novelist
The best-selling female author in Turkey. She has published novels written in Turkish as well as English. Shafak has been characterized by critics as continuously and creatively blending Western and Eastern traditions of storytelling to generate a fiction that is both local and universal.
Her writing has been defiant of bigotry and xenophobia, deeply involved in feminism, Sufism and Ottoman culture, with a particular genus for depicting backstreet Istanbul.
Franca Sozzani
Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia
Franca Sozanni is the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia, a position she has held since 1988. She has published several fashion books including Valentino’s Red Book in 2000.
Gareth Pugh
Fashion Designer
Born in Sunderland, Gareth Pugh studied on the Art Foundation course at City of Sunderland College and completed his degree in Fashion Design at Central St Martins in 2003. He has shown at London Fashion Week as part of Fashion East and was awarded New Generation sponsorship to show Autumn/Winter 2006.
In 2008, Pugh received the ANDAM prize, and began to show in Paris from the S/S 2009 season.
Gore Vidal
Writer, Novelist
Gore Vidal is perhaps the most iconic American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter and political activist. Early in his career, he wrote The City and The Pillar, which outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels
to feature unambiguous homosexuality. He was emerged as one of American’s more important literary figures due to the enormous quantity of work produced over the course of his career.
He also ran for political office twice and served as a long-time political critic.
Haluk Akakçe
Artist
Turkish contemporary artist whose work explores the intersections between society and technology through video animations, wall paintings and sound installations. He has trained at the Royal College of Art in London, Akakçe’s work has been displayed in the Istanbul and San Paulo Biennals, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and the Walker Art Center.
Hanif Kureishi
Novelist & Screenwriter
Hanif Kureishi CBE, born December 5 1954, is a Novelist, Playwright, Screenwriter and Filmmaker.
He wrote the script for the Stephen Frears film “My Beautiful Launderette” (1985) and “Venus” (2006).
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honors, as well as being included Kureishi in their list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”.
Jefferson Hack
Dazed & Confused, AnOther Magazine
Jefferson Hack is the Editorial Director of Dazed Group. Since founding Dazed & Confused Magazine in 1992 with Photographer Rankin, the publishing group has expanded to include leading luxury biannuals AnOther Magazine and AnOther Mas as well as dazeddigital.com, Dazed Group have been pioneering in its editorial approach; combining contemporary art projects with social-issue based fashion photography and groundbreaking interviews. Outside of Dazed Hack has contributed to a variety of national papers, writing a regular column on mens style for The Telegraph. He Has guest edited The Independent, edited books such as Star Culture, AnOther Portrait and Fashion Books, sat as a judge on the panel of Paris ANDAM fashion awards.
Kim Jones
Creative Director, Alfred Dunhill
British menswear designer who has developed a cult following for his refined, casual clothing. Alongside his own collection, Jones designs and works for a variety of companies, including sports brand Umbro. Jones has also worked as an art director and stylist for publications such as Dazed and Confused, Numero Homme, Another magazine, Ten+ and the New York Times. The Face magazine cited him as the 20th most influential person in fashion.
Leigh Lezark & Geordon Nichol
The Misshapes [Djs]
The Misshapes are a New York City- based DJ trio. Beginning in 2003, the trio cultivated a large following when they brought to downtown New York City the dance party “Misshapes”. In late 2007 after a successful 4 year run, the trio discontinued Misshapes as a weekly party. Since then, the trio continues to DJ and have done several outside projects including a style book; Missshapes, published by MTV Press, remixes for indie and electronica bands and film soundtracking, and have been involved in fashion journalism and photography.
Levent Çalıkoğlu
Curator
Currently the Chief curator at Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Çalıkoğlu has degrees in Art History and museum studies. He is lecturer at the Yıldız Technical University in the Art Management Department. He has various published articles and books on Modern and Contemporary Turkish Art. Since 1998 he is curating exhibitions in national and international scales for various institutions and museums. Recently ,he set up the “Sarkis: Site” (2009), ” From traditional to Contemporary” (2010) and the “New Works New Horizons” (2010) at Istanbul Modern. He is also art consultant for Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbazi Foundation and Akbank Culture and art center.
Leyla Umar
Journalist
One of the leading and most respected figure of turkish media currently, Umar has made interviews with world famous names such as Fidel Castro, Idi Amin, Nelson Mandela, Carlos Menem, Arafat, Raissa Gorbachev, Felipe Gonzales, Julio Iglesias, Kirk Douglas, Diana Ross, Lisa Minelli.
Lily Cole
Model
Has featured in several well known publications including cover appearances on V and Vogue, attracting controversy in 2008 by appearing naked in a pictorial for Play Boy magazine’s french edition. She had several minor acting roles, starting with St Trinians in 2007, Cole’s first leading role was as Valentina in the 2009 film The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus. Cole is due to appear in two upcoming films including There Be Dragons and Marilyn Manson Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.
Michael Nyman
Composer
As one of Britain’s most innovative and celebrated composers, Michael Nyman’s work encompasses operas and string quartets, film soundtracks and orchestral concertos. Far more than merely composers he’s also a performer, conductor, bandleader, pianist, author, musicologist and now a photographer and filmmaker. Nyman’s restless creativity and multi-faceted art has made him one of the most fascinating and influential cultural icons of our times. From his award-winning score for the film The Piano to the acclaimed opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, via a string of high-profile collaborations with everyone form Sir Harrison Britwistle to Damon Albarn, Michael Nyman is still pushing the boundaries of his art with a diverse and prolific burst of creativity as energetic and challenging as any new iconoclastic young kid on the block.
Muammer Brav
Film Critic
Famous film critic Brav, had a TV program on movies on CNNTURK.
Ozalp Birol
PERA Museum Director
He has worked as the director and consultant of many art projects within his career. He is now the director of Pera Museum Istanbul.
Philip Treacy
Miliner
One of the 20th century’s foremost hat designers. Now based in London, he has designed hats for Alexander McQueen, Givenchy in Paris and for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. He has been awarded the title of British Accessory Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards on five occasions during the early 1990s. On 19 November 2007, he was awarded and honorary OBE for services to the British fashion industry by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at a ceremony in Clarence House.
Serdar Gülgün
Interior Designer
Serdar Gülgün’s passion in Ottoman Art led him to London and he did a Masters degree at the university of London SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies). Being an Ottoman Art Expert he worked for Sotheby’s London for a short while in the Islamic Art Department. Coming back to Istanbul, Gülgün started to organize exhibitions of his private collection in the Topkapi Palace. For 2 years he was the narrator of Ottoman Art Of Living Documentary. He wrote Louis Vuitton’s European Cities Guide’s Istanbul part for 4 years. Being an art historian and a designer, he started to restore and design the interiors of historical Ottoman buildings and won many awards on the subject.
Sir V.S. Naipaul
Novelist
Sir VS Naipaul is a Trinidadian novelist and essayist, widely considered to be one of the masters of modern English prose. Booker Prize Winner (1971) and Nobel Laureate (2011). In 2008, The Times ranked Naipaul seventh on their List of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945″
Stephen Frears
Film Director
Born in England, Stephen Frears begins his career in the film industry as assistant director to Karel Reisz. In 1970, he directs his first feature Gumshoe. In 1985, My Beautiful Laundrette, initially intended for television, is released and becomes and international hit. In 1988, Stephen Frears shoots Dangerous Liaisons starring an international cast which proves a worldwide success. In 2000 he adapts Nick Hornby’s bestseller, High Fidelity and shoots Dirty Pretty Things starring Audrey Tautou. Stephen Frears, an audacious and deliberately provocative filmmaker, is nowadays one of the top directors in the world. After Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), he helms in 2006 the Oscar-nominated The Queen, which proves his biggest success yet in Great Britain.
Taner Ceylan
Painter
Internationally acclaimed turkish painter, known for his controversial work on male nudity. His piece “Ruhani” was sold to a record price in Sotheby’s.
Terence Koh
Artist
A Canadian artist, Koh creates handmade books and zines, prints, photographs, sculptures, performances and installations. Much of his diverse work involves queer, punk, and pornographic sensibilities. Koh has also worked under the alias “asianpunkboy” though it appears that name has been retired as of 2009. In 2008 he was listed in Out magazine’s “Out 100 People of the Year”.
Tony Chambers
Editor-In-Chief of Wallpaper*
Since joining Wallpaper*, Tony has overseen a highly respected re-design, which included creating a new and unique find for the magazine and attracting some of the world’s most exciting and talented photographers and illustrators. Prior to Wallpaper*, he had been Art Director at Condé Nast’s flagship male lifestyle title. British GQ Magazine for six years. During that period he also acted as a creative consultant on other international Condé Nast titles.
Tony Chambers
Editor-In-Chief of Wallpaper*
Since joining Wallpaper*, Tony has overseen a highly respected re-design for the magazine and featured some of the world’s most exciting and talented photographers and illustrators.
Prior to Wallpaper*, he had been Art Director at Condé Nast’s flagship male lifestyle title. British GQ Magazine for six years. During that period he also acted as a creative consultant on other international Condé Nast titles.
Vecdi Sayar
Film Critic
Journalist- writer, stage designer and art director Vecdi Sayar, throughout his career has taken business position in various different parts of the art and culture world. Currently, he is the President of The Intercultural Communication Interdisciplinary Arts Association, honorary member of Turkish Film Critics Association and member of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency Executive Board.
Waris Ahluwalia
Jewelry Designer, Actor
Waris Ahluwalia is an Indian-American jewelry designer and actor. He immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of five, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He is based in New York City but has also lived in Los Angeles and travels fre- quently to Rome,Tokyo and Rajasthan, India, where most of his jewellery is made. He sells his jewellery through his company, House of Waris.
Designer, actor and explorer Waris Ahluwalia is strongly influenced by the romance and history of ancient kingdoms. His HOUSE of WARIS jewels, which are coveted by fashion icons and sold at the finest boutiques, bring together old world techniques to hatch marvelously modern designs. House of Waris
In addition to his work in jewellery, he has had a number of small roles in films, most notably by those of his friend Wes Anderson, and in commercials.
Zaha Hadid
Architect
Zaha Hadid consistently pushes the boundaries of architecture and Urban design. Her work experiments with new spatial concepts intensifying existing urban landscapes in the pursuits of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields of design, ranging from urban scale through to products, interiors and furniture. Best known for her seminal built works (Vitra Fire Station, Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, BMW Central Building, Phaeno Science Center and MAXXI: Italian National Museum of XXI Arts)her central concerns involve a simultaneous engagement in practice, teaching and research.
Alphan Eseli
Director/ Photographer/ Co- Founder of Istanbul74
Daphne Guinness
Fashionista
Elif Shafak
Novelist
Franca Sozzani
Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia
Gareth Pugh
Fashion Designer
Gore Vidal
Writer, Novelist
Haluk Akakçe
Artist
Hanif Kureishi
Novelist & Screenwriter
Jefferson Hack
Dazed & Confused, AnOther Magazine
Kim Jones
Creative Director, Alfred Dunhill
Leigh Lezark & Geordon Nichol
The Misshapes [Djs]
Levent Çalıkoğlu
Curator
Leyla Umar
Journalist
Lily Cole
Model
Michael Nyman
Composer
Muammer Brav
Film Critic
Ozalp Birol
PERA Museum Director
Philip Treacy
Miliner
Serdar Gülgün
Interior Designer
Sir V.S. Naipaul
Novelist
Stephen Frears
Film Director
Taner Ceylan
Painter
Terence Koh
Artist
Tony Chambers
Editor-In-Chief of Wallpaper*
Tony Chambers
Editor-In-Chief of Wallpaper*
Vecdi Sayar
Film Critic
Waris Ahluwalia
Jewelry Designer, Actor
Zaha Hadid
Architect
