1. We had a dream
We dreamt of a brand with specific core values:
Traditional great craftsmanship, high quality and authentic creativity.
We meticulously wrote our own story reflecting the mysticism of our geography, our way of living, our craftsmanship and our spirituality.
We have searched for talented hands to create, beating hearts to share our curiosity, brilliant minds to grow and passionate companions to share our path.
2. Our inspiration: Istanbul
“ Yesterday I looked upon you from a peak, sacred Istanbul.. Falling in love with even your simplest neighborhood is worth a whole lifetime. “ - Yahya Kemal Beyatlı
We get our our inspiration from our hometown Istanbul with its thousands of years of history, triumphant metropolis with imperial history, a mosaic of different cultures and civilizations.
Today, we know that the Pera region, which includes the hill where Galatasaray and Beyoğlu districts are located today, was surrounded by a city wall during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great (306-312 AD), was covered with fig orchards and was then called in the 10th century as "Peran en Sykais" which means "Fig field on the other side" in Greek, referring to the "other side" of the Golden Horn. This expression turned into Pera over time.
The name “Figg” makes an allusion to the era when Pera, one of the historical districts of Istanbul, was adorned with fig orchards.
Our story, which started under the wisdom of a fig tree, continues on the buzzy streets of Istanbul. Ah! We also have curious street cats accompanying us!
3. Carık : Inspired by the old world, reimagined for today
“ I hand down, I do not create” - Confucius
We had one ambitious dream: Reintroducing Çarık , our traditional slip-on shoe, back to our daily lives with a contemporary twist.
Çarık has been handcrafted by artisan shoemakers for centuries on these lands and has been worn by the common people in daily life but today it is almost erased from our memory.
We humbly dreamt of rediscovering traditional shoe making methods and artisanal processes and gently redeveloping them in a contemporary manner.
We have gently upgraded the original flat leather sole with a more flexible, shock absorbing, sneaker-like outsole that ensures a long term comfort throughout the day. We have added an orthopedic natural latex insoles with a heel support.
We only used the best quality of cow leather for the upper part and for the insole of the shoes to ensure a long lasting and breathable end product.
During all the process of planning and producing, we felt more like “the guardians of a value” rather than a creator of a product or a brand.
4. Making things by hand
We think that whatever made by hand is special.
Made by hand means special attention and care is given to every single stage of production.
Handcrafting in small batches is a manifesto against the mass production ensuring a more sustainable and fair production pattern.
5. Storytelling beyond selling : Figg Store
We designed our store representing a lifestyle vision that spoke to the creative soul seeking beauty in all things.
We weren’t interested in sticking to a single style, we wanted to invite you in a pleasant journey that is adorned with the history, the architecture, the culture, the colors and the patterns of Istanbul.
Figg store is a true reflection of refinement and “Art de Vivre” where collections can be seen, touched and experienced.
6. Embrace the Mistake
We did mistakes, we are making mistakes and we are not afraid to make more mistakes. That’s the beauty of experimentation.
We know that there is no growth without failure.
7. Following the footsteps we are walking forward.
Our work philosophy is simple : Never rest on your laurels. We constantly seek the better. We work for better, we walk and we are moving forward. We are constantly developing modern products with a traditional and nostalgic feeling for our Figg world.