A Quick Q & A with Yaz Bukey

The designer Yaz Bukey is renowned for her colorful and playful approach to fashion. Her fantastic plastic Plexiglas accessories and jewelry as well as her upbeat message tops and dresses have made her signature brand the place to shop when in need of a sartorial pick me up. A true Ottoman princess who bucked her family’s traditions and codes to walk her own Technicolor path, she started her company in 2000 with her sister Emel Kurhan, and never looked back.

Now Yaz has teamed up with Lacoste for a clever capsule collection that is currently on sale at Colette in Paris and will soon be found in Lacoste stores worldwide. This gives fans just enough time to pick up a tennis ball emoji embellished polo top or tote bag before the French Open at Roland- Garros (Lacoste is a sponsor) gets underway next month. Lacoste has been on a bit of a collaboration roll. Last month it teamed up with Supreme in another savvy partnership for the brand.

Here the delightful designer talks about how her big break came thanks to Bjork, her love of slumber and why intuition is key to her success.

Q: How did you first get interested in fashion?

A: I grew up in embassies in a family where fashion and elegance was part of the of lifestyle. Coming from a royal background (my great aunt princess Fawzia was égérie of Van Cleef and Arpels). My fashion rebellion though started when I discovered Boy George at age 11. My parents were horrified and I was proud!

Q: What made you finally decide to launch out on your own and create your brand?

A: I had to choose at some point between designing for a house or launching my own brand. My conqueror and independent soul made me follow the yellow brick road.

A close up of a Lacoste Polo shirt reimagined by Yaz Bukey.

Q: What was your big break?

A: The big break came along very quickly, in 2000 when we launched Yazbukey with my sister Emel Kurhan , Bjork wore our first collection and after we designed custom made pieces for her concerts. That’s how it all began. Second big break is my brand’s “c’est ahh” lips design, that has been my signature for 10 years.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: Images and dreams.

Q: Who living or dead would you love to be able to have dinner with?

A: My parents, they passed away at a young age, never had a real discussion with them.

Q: What is your favorite trip?

A: I have a special love for Italy. I keep going to Florence, Rome, Sicily. I love the spirit, the food, history, language, landscape…. that’s why we say “tous les chemins mènent à Rome!”.

Q: When are you happiest?

A: When I go to sleep, I love exploring dreams, I fly like a bird! Total freedom!

Q: What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing?

A: Growing the brand into lifestyle, fashion and art, creating Yazbukeyland. I’m so proud to have created my brand and made it big without any outside investment.

Pieces from Yaz Bukey’s latest signature collection. / Cedric Odet

Q: What is your secret talent?

A: I love singing, dancing, performing. I love auto derision, entertaining my friends.

Q: What is your motto or the best piece of advice you ever got?

A: Follow your intuition.

Q: What emoji do you use the most?

A: I’m using our own yazbukey emojis we created with Stickapax. The one I use most is our “c’est ahh” lips sticker.

From the regular emojis, I love the purple crystal ball!

Q: What is the latest Instagram feed you decided to follow?

A: Well not to make any advertising, but I’m following my mascot’s Instagram @yazbukeypaws #monroe.  More seriously, I’ve met great artists on Instagram such as Katja Rahwles, Ete1981 or Evren Tekinoktay.

Jessica Michault

Jessica Michault is the Senior Vice President of industry relations at GPS Radar by Launchmetrics. She is also the editor-at-large for ODDA magazine and contributes to publications like the New York Times, the Business of Fashion, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Mixte magazine.