This Istanbul It Girl Went From Baking To Creating Fashion Jewelry

Esra Dandin is most known for her delicious baked creations at her café Dandin Bakery in Istanbul’s trendy Karaköy neighborhood. But the Turkish It Girl decided to follow her true calling, creating a jewelry brand that is utterly unique.

The bakery

The Karaköy neighborhood, once Istanbul’s most flourishing center of commerce, was a dilapidated version of itself, full of potential which was seized by the city’s younger generation. Soon cafes opened aplenty, the old facades gained new purpose as the sound of DJ parties reverberated through the dark streets, and on the weekends the once empty quarter was full of life with tables set up outside, art galleries announcing their exhibitions, and colorful light bulbs hanging overhead as crowds wandered from one boutique to the other.

The original Dandin bakery before it was handed over to new management

In one of these streets, a café almost entirely decked out in sea foam green hues stuck out. Inside, a glass display exhibited an array of expertly created cakes and pastries, while one wall had a small library of independent magazines that the city often missed. This was the café of Esra Dandin, a native of Istanbul in her late twenties, who soon grew weary of her pastry chef existence, looking for something that would truly satiate her potential.

The jewelry

And so Dandin and her metal and woodworker husband went after what they truly loved: design. Dandin kept thinking about a jewelry making course that she had once attended in college, and when she sold the café to a new manager in the summer she concentrated entirely on this dormant passion. She was quite in luck, because the sudden change from baking to creating jewelry was not so different, after all she was still molding and forming shapes just as she had for her unique pastries.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYQu23UgYKs/?taken-by=esradandin

The Esra Dandin jewelry collection is of a minimal persuasion and seems to be inspired by both natural forms and the kind bold curvaceous forms that you’d find in abstract art. Silver is always in the foreground and Dandin’s simple and elegant namesake collection might as well as be described as small sculptures that can be worn and therefore stand out inevitably. After Dandin sketches and molds her creations, they are all handmade by an Armenian silversmith and her inspiration for the simplicity of her jewelry is a kind of opposing force to the high energy and chaos of the city she calls home.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfA0n-AgcXE/?taken-by=esradandin

Culture Trips launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes places and communities so special.

Our immersive trips, led by Local Insiders, are once-in-a-lifetime experiences and an invitation to travel the world with like-minded explorers. Our Travel Experts are on hand to help you make perfect memories. All our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.?>

All our travel guides are curated by the Culture Trip team working in tandem with local experts. From unique experiences to essential tips on how to make the most of your future travels, we’ve got you covered.