- Jan 11, 2022

In That Moment...

The next scene belongs to our friends. And the first name that pops into my mind when one mentions friendship is Hakaan. In his newest collection, he relays the story of his last decade; sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Cemre Ebüzziya takes the leading role in this spectacular story curated by Mahizar Aytaş and shot through Emre Doğru’s lens. And we think to ourselves; being Hakaan’s friend is a theater play one can’t get enough of...

As you know, the theme of this issue is friendship. You’ve brought Hakaan Yıldırım’s SS21 collection to life and have become a personal hero of the story called friendship. What does friendship mean to you? How do you know if someone’s a friend or a true friend?

Thank you. I could define very few of my friends in life as true friends; what we’ve shared over the years made us that. In fact, I don’t see a difference between a friend and a true friend; I’ve shared more memories with some and have begun creating them with others. I think friendship is generally formed as a result of life bringing us together rather than a conscious decision. I’m glad to have my friends. They’re the most important and precious part of my life. There’s a quote at my aunt’s place that I love which goes, “My door is always open to my friends but my family members need an appointment.” Of course family is just as important but I think I’ve come to understand the meaning of that statement better.

Friendship is also a little bit about belonging. Where do you position that feeling in your life?

Recently, I’ve had a lot of time to myself and I think I’ve come to know a new aspect of the sense of belonging. That feeling of homecoming, going back to your roots. Currently, I want to belong to myself. I’m striving to make my thoughts, time, body, and emotions belong only to me. The balance of being at home and looking inward, the ability to be self-sufficient and to love one’s self… Being in harmony with the flow gives me pure joy and a sense of calm.

I know you’re very intelligent. What do you think about your emotional intelligence? How do you see yourself in that aspect?

You’re very kind, thank you. I think my intelligence still has room to grow; there’s a long road ahead and so much to learn about everything in general. I hope I can advance forward through experience, curiosity, research, and internalization.

Are you more independent or influenced by others while making your mind?

I think a little bit of both depending on the situation. Recently, I’m trying to adopt a more mature, calm, soft, and open-minded approach instead of living in the extremes.

When I look at your generation, you carry yourself different than others both in appearance and demeanor. Do you think this is an advantage for you?

I don’t think I’m different in any way. I just want to improve myself and to work in projects that excite me, make my heart beat faster, and that I deeply believe in. Your experiences and choices can give you an advantage as long as I manage to remain hardworking, humble, and peaceful instead of losing my direction. My goal in acting is to challenge myself and to capture the sense of being in the moment. It’s actually a process that doesn’t have a finish line which works well for me!

One of the things I want to see most is for actors in Turkey to have a sense of style. How do you see yourself? How would you describe your style or what kinds of styles attract you?

I think acting has nothing to do with style. There are many wonderful actors in Turkey and I think that’s what matters. The actors, or women I admire in general, (such as Diana Vreeland, Tina Chow, Rei Kawakubo, Diana Ross, Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, and Bianca Jagger) have amazing auras and personalities that go beyond their choice of fashion. I think it’s the reason why they have such powerful styles. It’s not what they’re wearing but their very existence, way of thinking, approach, and personalities that make them stand out and shine.