The Art and Science of Hand-Dyed Velvet

When people see my finished bows and accessories, they often notice the colors first. What they don't always realize is that many of those colors begin as white silk-blend velvet in my studio.

For the past several years I've developed my own small-batch dyeing process, creating original colorways for velvet that become the foundation of each seasonal collection. Every piece is dyed by hand, making each yard unique while maintaining the consistency needed to produce cohesive product lines.

My inspiration comes from everywhere. Growing up along Turkey's Mediterranean coast, I was surrounded by vivid bougainvillea, hibiscus, turquoise water, weathered stone, and brilliant summer skies. Today I continue collecting color combinations wherever I find them—a flower in my garden, vintage textiles, children's clothing, fashion editorials, travel, birds, architecture, or even an unexpected pairing in everyday life. My phone has become a living library of color inspiration, filled with photographs and screenshots waiting to become future palettes.

The creative process begins long before the dye touches the fabric. I explore relationships between colors, considering how they transition into one another, where contrast creates energy, and where softer gradients evoke calm. Some collections rely on flowing blends that allow neighboring colors to interact organically, while others use intentional color blocking to create clean, graphic compositions. Both approaches tell different visual stories.

Working with dye is both technical and intuitive. Temperature, timing, fiber content, and dye concentration all influence the final result. Colors evolve throughout the process, and sometimes the most successful palettes emerge from unexpected shifts. Rather than resisting those moments, I've learned to see them as part of the design process. They often lead to combinations I could never have planned on paper.

Developing color has become one of the most rewarding parts of my work. Whether creating a soft tonal collection, a saturated rainbow, or a custom palette inspired by a customer's idea, I love exploring how color influences emotion, memory, and the way people connect with an object. To me, color is never simply decoration—it is one of the primary ways a product communicates before anyone ever touches it. 

I shared my thoughts on color in an interview with the color magazine DomaChroma. Here is the link for those who might like to check it out: