2023-11-03 17:45:39
Yesim Karaman always knew it. The reserved style, it would come back soon. After a real “gold rush”, as the Berliner describes the prevailing fashion of the past few years, it would be about other values again – about real values, about value itself.
No more big logos, no dominant brand patterns, no stilted concepts or kitsch, no excessive frills. “I’m extremely pleased that minimalism is now the focus again,” says the entrepreneur. “Precisely because that’s the style I focused on from the start.”
In 2016, Karaman founded her brand Agneel in Berlin; Since then, she has presented objectively shaped bag models, reduced to the bare essentials, subtle details instead of unnecessary decorative elements – the golden logo is so small and delicate that it can hardly be read with the naked eye. Totes and pouches, shoulder and bucket bags, made for the current, big trend of quiet luxury.
For weeks and months now, when it comes to good taste, people in Milan and Paris, New York and Berlin have talked about virtually nothing else. The keyword Quiet Luxury, more rarely also Stealth Wealth or Old Money Style, describes less specific fashion items than a basic attitude: the idea that luxury – and also the wealth that makes it possible in the first place – is better enjoyed privately and not too much should be emphasized boldly.
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Remarkably inconspicuous: “Raya” model made of cobalt blue calfskin Agneel
In films like “Tár” and series like “Succession,” the associated uniform has recently been cited, which consists of beige silk sweaters and spacious cashmere coats, as well as custom-made ensembles that do not come from the relevant mega brands, but from the traditional tailor around the corner . Gwyneth Paltrow and Katie Holmes and LVMH boss Bernard Arnault are considered real icons of this style.
Most recently, Phoebe Philo’s new collection caused a stir, the first under her own name, which the Brit presented online on Monday (October 30th): The former Céline boss’s line also includes more exalted designs, such as asymmetrical fringed skirts or technoid ski goggles . However, the majority of their designs could definitely be classified as Quiet Luxury due to their restrained shapes and uncompromising quality and were sold out just twelve hours after their online debut – despite the impressive prices.
I wanted to create a luxury that is not defined by the price, but by the product itself.
Yesim Karaman
These, the prices in general, are also what could significantly reduce the new desire for quiet luxury. Philo charges between 3,600 euros (cargo jacket) and 7,000 euros (tote bag) for their pieces; The pricing of other brands that are now in high demand again, such as Loro Piana or The Row, is hardly more lenient. However, Quiet Luxury should not be a topic only for rich people – if Yesim Karaman has his way.
Very matter-of-fact: “Nomi” model made of calf leather in black and AusterAgneel
She wants the good, straight-line style to allow more customers. “I wanted to stay affordable with Agneel right from the start,” says the Berliner. “I wanted to create a luxury that is not defined by the price, but by the product itself.” With prices ranging from 550 euros for a cobalt blue pouch made of structured calfskin to 740 euros for a half-moon-shaped shoulder bag of the same material, Karaman is still moving in an upscale but appropriate area.
I actually see Agneel as a comprehensive label that will eventually also include clothing.
Yesim Karaman
Yesim Karaman, who grew up in Schöneberg as the daughter of Kurdish parents and lived in Izmir, Turkey, also has her models made from high-quality materials and under impeccable conditions, as she says: During her time in Izmir, Karaman initially ran her own studio, in which a modeler who had previously produced bags for luxury giant Prada made the Agneel products.
After Karaman returned to her hometown of Berlin in 2018, she now has production done in the Niccoli studio near Florence, where, for example, the bags for the hyped New York brand Savette are also made. “A very small family business,” describes Karaman, “run by a pair of siblings who have been running their business together for more than 30 years.”
True size: “Cara” model with central seam detail made of calfskin Agneel
Atelier Niccoli must have its supply chains and production conditions continually checked in order to obtain appropriate certificates; The tanneries that Karaman finds at the Lineapelle leather fair in Milan would also work in this way. The Gruppo Mastrotto, for example, from which the Berliner buys her materials, is part of the international Leather Working Group (LWG), which sets corresponding standards.
The entrepreneur describes keeping prices at a moderate level and at the same time quality at the highest possible level as a balancing act. “Since I also work with wholesale partners, i.e. shops, and don’t just sell my bags through my own online shop, I have to include a corresponding margin,” she says; Currently, eight stores across Europe have the Agneel label in their range, including Ofelia Berlin in Prenzlauer Berg.
Yesim Karaman can currently still save, if you will, on personnel costs. Because Agneel is almost a one-woman show: The Berliner, who initially studied business administration at the University of Technology and Economics (HTW), employs a part-time employee who supports her in the various business areas. “Otherwise I do everything myself, from design to communication with my producers to sales.”
But she wants to grow her brand slowly and healthily, preferably offering more fashion products. “Belts, shoes and small leather goods would be a next logical step,” she says. “But I actually see Agneel as a comprehensive label that will at some point also include clothing.” What would the whole thing look like? Yesim Karaman doesn’t have to think twice. “Less is more,” she says, “that will always be my motto.”
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