Oya lace jewellery
A refined collection of textile jewellery hand-worked by a group of women in Turkey with whom Karawan has been developing its exclusive creations for 15 years, as part of a solidarity-based economy. A hymn to femininity in the colours of the Anatolian seasons.
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OYA
Oya lace jewellery is the result of a combination of traditional Turkish lacemaking and the traveller's eye of Christine Delpal, designer of the Karawan brand. The powerful and promising encounter with Hanifa and her sisters, villagers from Anatolia, was an obvious choice. The shared desire to pass on and support the professionalisation of exceptional traditional female skills, often limited to the domestic sphere.
A contemporary blend of cultures
Christine spends long days in the mountains of Anatolia, working together to design these jewellery items inspired by the changing rhythm of the seasons. Since 2010, 30 women from the surrounding villages have joined forces to train the youngsters and organise production. Needlework and crochet require great precision. Graphic or floral motifs traditionally decorate the edges of their scarves. The Karawan jewellery collection revisits these symbols with a contemporary design.
The textile jewellery in the Oya collection is worked with a very fine needle using thread enhanced with pearls to highlight the motifs. A delicate ornament for everyday wear or to celebrate a special day!
Ottoman lace inherited from the Silk Roads
Originally made in Ottoman palaces to adorn garments, cushions and hangings, Oya lace was introduced to European courts in the 16th century under the name of ‘Turkish lace’. In the 18th century, it became all the rage. In harems, concubines competed to create the richest lace, interlaced with gold or silver threads. Now democratised, Oya lace is inseparable from the ‘Yazma’, the scarf worn by Anatolian women, who express their feelings and belonging through the symbols that adorn its borders.
