Demet Müftüoğlu Eşeli (born 1974) is a Curator, Creative Director and the co-founder of ISTANBUL’74. Since 2010, she has been the Creative Head of Istanbul International Arts & Culture Festival (IST. FESTIVAL) which she co-founded with Alphan Eşeli.

Background & Early Life

Demet Müftüoğlu-Eşeli studied Business Administration at

Bilkent University Bilkent University ( tr, Bilkent Üniversitesi) is a private university located in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded by Prof. İhsan Doğramacı in 1984, with the aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research. It is constan ...

, followed by a move to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

where she studied at the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It ...

. Between 2000-2012, Müftüoğlu Eşeli has worked as a creative consultant at the

Vakko Vakko is a Turkish fashion company. It produces and retails textiles, leather goods, and accessories. Vakko also operates luxury department stores under the Vakko name at Zorlu Center, İstinye Park, Akmerkez, Vadi Istanbul, and Akasya malls ...

. In 2000, she conceptualized and developed Turkey’s first multi-brand concept store V2K Designers. In 2007, she has collaborated with Grand Classics to present a film screening ceremony hosted by

Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English retired actor. Often described as one of the preeminent actors of his generation, he received numerous accolades throughout his career which spanned over four decades, incl ...

and organized the

International Herald Tribune The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France for international English-speaking readers. It had the aim of becoming "the world's first global newspaper" and could fairly be said ...

Luxury Conference held in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

and hosted by

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...

. In 2010, she commissioned Rex Architecture P.C. in New York to create the new Vakko HQ building.

ISTANBUL’74 and Career

In 2009, Müftüoğlu-Eşeli co-founded ISTANBUL'74 with her husband Alphan Eşeli, an independent platform that has been organizing cultural events festivals, exhibitions and artistic collaborations with creative thought leaders from around the world. ISTANBUL’74 has collaborated with leading international galleries such as Lehmann Maupin Gagosian , Hauser and Wirth as well as designers and artists including Sandro Kopp Tracy Emin, Alex Prager, Angel Otero, Robin Rhode, JR, Idris Khan, Jonah Freeman & Justin Lowe, José Parlá, Inez & Vinoodh, Anton Corbijn, Defne Koz, Kezban Arca Batıbeki, Mehmet Ali Uysal, Diana Al-Hadid, Delfina Delettrez, André Saraiva, Robert Montgomery Stephen Jones, Sandro Kopp, Waris Ahluwalia amongst others. The same year, Müftüoğlu-Eşeli established ‘74STUDIO Creative Agency. In 2010, Müftüoğlu-Eşeli co-founded the Istanbul International Arts and Culture Festival, (IST. Festival) with Alphan Eşeli It is an annual, three-day festival that offers a hybrid program of panels and talks, exhibitions, workshops, screenings, and performances that aim to establish and forge cultural and artistic relations, by bringing together some of the world's most talented and creative minds. In 2020, Müftüoğlu-Eşeli founded ‘74ESCAPE Gallery & Store, a shop for handmade ceramics.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muftuoglu Eseli, Demet 1974 births Living people Turkish fashion Businesspeople from Istanbul