Turkish Jeweller Begüm Khan on Her Festive Collaboration with Guerlain
The Beelieve in Fantasy collection was born from a shared fantasy world created through the coalition of both brands
As the festive season arrives, we’ve seen many exciting and exclusive partnerships coming to fruition, one being Guerlain and Turkish jeweller Begüm Khan’s Beelieve in Fantasy collection. Born from a shared fantasy world created through the coalition of both brands, the range marks the amalgamation of beauty and riches, showcased through a number of exceptional ornaments — in the form of intricately designed perfume bottles, jewellery plates and lipstick cases — just in time for Christmas.
“Guerlain is one of the oldest beauty brands in the world,” says Khan when asked why she felt compelled to agree to the partnership. “They have a rich and sophisticated legacy of 200 years. It is a brand that I have known, used, and cherished since my childhood, so when they came to me, I didn’t blink or hesitate a minute. I was proud, happy and enthusiastic to start working with them. I’m glad that I’m part of this beautiful family.”
Below, Khan shares more about her start with jewellery making, creative process and takeaway from the partnership.
Tell us about your history with jewellery design.
The establishment of the brand is rooted in two little cuff links. I wanted to give a set of cuff links to my brother for his wedding. When I couldn’t find the perfect cuff links I was searching for, I decided to create them myself. Then, I slowly started to create jewellery exclusively for my use. When the pieces I wore started to be desired by the people around me, the Begüm Khan brand was born.
What do you like most about it?
About designing jewellery, the thing that I most enjoy is that I can dream. I will be in my own fantasy land and turn my dreams into wearable art pieces, hold them in my hand and see them around. That is a pure joy for me.
Walk us through your creative process for this collection. How is it similar to or different from that of your own designs?
The creative process is very similar to the way that I design for my own brand. It all starts from a dream, from a world where there are magical bees, beautiful beetles, and great-smelling flowers. When I design, I try to bring this world into a real-life item. When we designed with Guerlain, the process was very similar, but I had Guerlain’s legacy and what they represented in my mind all the time.
We have many things in common with Guerlain. We share the [love of] animal worlds. For example, Guerlain has used the bear, snail, and turtle for centuries, and I am always working with bestiary. We also have the flowers and the dreamy worlds in common. We both value and cherish arts and craftsmanship. We are representing the bridge between the west and east; it is a romantic encounter.
You created an almost dreamlike universe for this collection. How did you infuse the spirit of both houses into this shared universe?
We are a brand that was established in İstanbul 10 years ago, and Guerlain is from Paris with 200 years of history. When I started designing for this project, I always thought of the exoticism and beautiful flavours of the East and France’s sophistication and heritage. And coming together from two worlds, we created a new beautiful one — where you are in a dream, where all the choices are available for you.
How does your exclusive bottle design showcase the true essence of the Le Songe de la Reine fragrance?
Le Songe de le Reine was the scent of our first collaboration. For this collaboration, I dreamt of Guerlain’s bee — this Parisian bee flying from the Seine to the Bosporus and then touching the wild orchids of the Ottoman gardens and sitting on the four Ottoman flowers in sherbet pink Turkish delight colours. It was the perfect combination. We wanted to emphasise what we have in common. It was literally the dream of the Queen
What is your favourite piece from this collection and why?
It’s impossible for me to choose a favourite. They are all loved children of mine and Guerlain, and are all very special. I cannot say one is my favourite, but I can say that I carry the Rouge G every day in my purse and renew my lipstick many times during the day. So, I have a more intimate relationship with Rouge G that makes me happy and that I cherish every day.
What is your main takeaway from this collaborative experience with Guerlain?
I feel blessed, happy and extremely proud not only to be working with such an important house but to be part of the family. It has been also an amazing learning process for me to learn about the makeup designing process — another fantasy land which completes my own world.
