Selda and the makers of Izmir
Smyrna is the old name of Izmir, the city on Turkey's Aegean coast where every piece is made.
For generations, women in Turkey knitted and crocheted for their dowry chests: lace, blankets, cardigans, made slowly and kept for life. Selda grew up around that work. In 2021 she started Smyrna Collective to take those same skills and make pieces people want to wear today, from granny square shirts to festival sets.
She started with a few friends. Today more than 20 makers, mostly women, many of them retired or working from home, earn an income through Smyrna Collective. Some have paid for things their families had waited years for. We call them, with love, the knitting mafia.
"I live in Izmir and I am a retired export/import manager. Having worked for more than 20 years, now I cannot stay empty. So I produce."
Nilgün, maker
Who makes your piece
When you order, your piece goes to one maker. She crochets it by hand, square by square, and Selda checks it before it ships. That is why it takes a few days, and why no two pieces are exactly the same.
- Selda
- Nilgün
- Birsen
- Mehtap
- İkbal
- and many more
Photos from Izmir
Our makers meet in the park to knit, talk and try on each other's work.
