Rifat Ozbek (, ; born 1953) is a Turkish-born fashion and interior designer, known for his exotic, ethnically-inspired outfits. He was named British Designer of the Year in 1988 and 1992.

Biography

Rifat Ozbek was born in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, Turkey and grew up in a ''

yalı A yalı (, from Greek ''yialí'' (mod. ''yialós''), literally "seashore, beach") is a house or mansion built right on the waterside (almost exclusively seaside, particularly on the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul) and usually built with an archit ...

'' on the

Bosphorus The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental bo ...

. He came to the UK to study architecture at the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

in 1970, graduating in 1972. He then lived in his parents' flat in

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...

while studying fashion at

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art school, art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's beca ...

from 1974 to 1977. After graduating in 1977, Ozbek went to Italy where he worked in Milan between 1978 and 1980, then in London with

Monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

. In 1984 he established his own company, Ozbek, and began to show his yearly collections in Milan and New York City, and more recently, in Paris. In 1987 the production of his studio line, Future Ozbek, was licensed to Aeffe SpA, in Italy, and his notoriety continued to grow. By 1995, he had launched his own perfume called "Ozbek", and later a second, "Ozbek 1001". The fall 1999/spring 2000 collections of many designers reflected the very aesthetic that Ozbek valued for over a decade—the artful mixing of unlikely patterns, shapes, and ornamentation, along with bits and pieces borrowed from a global grab bag. In 2010, Ozbek launched a new business called "Yastik", which means "pillow" in Turkish, and opened his first London store. Özbek was an interior designer for Robin Birley's new nightclub, 5 Hertford Street, which opened in 2012. He lives between

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a wikt:cosmopolitan, cosmopolitan and multiculturalism, multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting ...

, London; Istanbul; and

Yalıkavak Yalıkavak is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Bodrum, Muğla Province, Turkey. Its population is 6,532 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). It is on the Aegean coast. It is from Bodrum, on the no ...

, Bodrum with his partner Erdal Karaman.

Style

Ozbek is inspired by adornment. He is an observer of culture and subculture, from Tibetan to American Indian, and his interest in decoration is evident in his ornamental clothing. He gained notoriety by combining the decorative symbols and shapes of diverse cultures, such as the Far East, Africa, and his native Turkey, with the classic silhouettes of the West. Ozbek created eclectic clothing which encouraged the urban consumer to embrace "ethnic chic". His use of embroidery, tassels, and vivid colors like turquoise and fuchsia was completely at odds with 1980s power dressing; nevertheless, his antifashion approach to modern dressing received quite a bit of attention from those who appreciated the departure from sharp-edged suiting. Ozbek's designs reflected both club scene and New Age influences, when in 1990, he made clear his faith in spiritualism by presenting an all-white collection. His popularity continued throughout the 1990s as he continued his investigation of culture and subculture, taking street fashion to the runway with the addition of baseball caps covered with sequins.

Awards

*1986: '' Woman Magazine'' Designer Award *1988: British Designer of the Year *1989: British Glamour Award *1992: British Designer of the Year

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozbek, Rifat Living people 1953 births Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Alumni of the University of Liverpool Artists from Istanbul British fashion designers British interior designers English LGBTQ artists LGBTQ fashion designers People from Belgravia Turkish emigrants to the United Kingdom Turkish interior designers Turkish fashion designers Turkish LGBTQ artists