Urban, distinctive and bold. In conversation with Orkun Sevim, Kuun Studio.

Who said street style is just oversized sweatshirts and ripped jeans? Kuun Studio is the brand born out of the creativity of Orkun Sevim, interpreting the latest trends in a contemporary way into what is for all intents and purposes not just a brand but a true lifestyle.

As Sevim, designer and founder of Kuun Studio, explains, his inspiration comes from his social experiences, emotions and state of mind; “creating a collection is a blank canvas and you are the painter-it’s almost the same thing,” he explains. 

And the creative process is in fact just like meeting someone, a real muse: “At first I imagine a person. I always think about the main idea and then I create her lifestyle around the concept,” Sevim says. “I usually try to find a connection between multiple disciplines: art movements, terms, combination of Turkish and Italian culture, contemporary art … everything can be a source of inspiration if I feel it inside me.” 

And this awareness-as he explains-comes from as far back as when he was a child: “My passion for fashion started when I was playing with my grandmothers’ dresses, trying to change their shape and add some drapery…. Then I started to design super avant-garde patterns that were almost impossible to make, but I would try to make them with small pieces of fabric. Being a designer and having a brand was my childhood dream, somehow I always knew that.”

Returning to street style, for Sevim this is the main source of inspiration for his collections, as well as the common thread of his work, and the designer is clear in his thinking: street style does not mean wearing only oversize sweatshirts, but rather trying to find a link between femininity and urban style. “I combine street-style with couture elements,” she continues. “For me, Kuun Studio is the key to adding femininity to an everyday, casual style. I don’t think it’s just a fashion trend, it’s the way I want to see my clients on the street.”

When asked about the choice of color palettes Sevim jokes, “It’s a representation of my dark side! I’m joking, it’s just that I don’t believe in trends, in next year’s colors…for me shape and movement are the most important elements. I always pay a lot of attention to the shape and not the color, since I want to keep my designs neutral but meaningful.”

And just talking about shapes and volumes, Kuun Studio’s designs are very particular, bordering on futuristic, almost as if they want to reshape the wearer’s body, and Sevim comments, “not everyone has a stereotypical model body, so the goal is just to reshape the body with difficult movements, because I want the wearer of Kuun Studio to feel sexy and in the spotlight.”

Of course, launching an emerging brand today is not always easy, but as Sevim explains, the challenge is precisely to find support in the fashion industry; even from a sustainability standpoint Kuun Studio is committed, producing only on-demand. “I can only suggest to people who are reading this that they buy from emerging brands and designers. We are sustainable because we care about quality and not quantity. Buy responsibly!”

Photos: Kuun Studio

by Maria Bellotto
21st December, 2022