Collectible Design Scene
December 9–19, 2026 · Istanbul
Participation is subject to a fee.
Please submit your project to receive a tailored proposal.
Application deadline: 5 November 2026
About
A curated exhibition, a marketplace, a cultural platform, a community.
RareWorks Istanbul is an independent event platform that makes Istanbul’s production, design, craft, collecting and international relationships visible under one roof.
Taking place from 9 to 19 December 2026 at two venues at the same time, it departs from the classic fair model. Selection, story, spatial experience, sales and relationships are treated as one whole as the first comprehensive, Istanbul-based stage for collectors of design.
Its core claim is not to show more, but to make selecting, building context and producing the right encounters count.
What is collectible design?
Collectible design sits between functional design and art; distinctive, often limited or one-of-a-kind objects made with strong authorship, craftsmanship, material value and cultural relevance; made to be used, but also collected, exhibited and preserved.
RAREWORKS exists because the talent is already here. Now is the moment to make the scene visible.
Collectible design is one of the fastest-maturing intersections of design, art, craftsmanship and luxury, attracting new collectors, record auction prices and increasingly powerful institutional platforms. Istanbul has extraordinary creative talent, galleries, makers and collectors, but no strong dedicated platform bringing collectible design together. Interest in collectible design is now growing, and people are looking more closely at authenticity, craftsmanship, provenance and limited production. Istanbul already has the creative energy and international relevance. What is missing is a platform that gives this scene visibility, structure and momentum.
Two Formats
Two names, one platform: from high collecting value to rarities for everyday life
ARTHAN Karaköy
Small-Scale Collectible Objects
Accessories, Jewellery, Taste, Sound & Scent
Selected Independent Designers
InStyle Home Zone
BENESTA Acıbadem
Collectible Furniture, Lighting, Objects, Galleries
YUZU Editor’s pick
Press & Collectors Lounge
The two venues are not repeated content but a guided Istanbul route. They share one brand universe, one quality standard and one communication strategy, and offer visitors different scales of experience and access. Visitors will experience them as two parts of a single event. Both formats are commercial.
RAREWORKS and RARETHINGS are the long-term corporate identity of the project. Names derived from “rare” point not only to an event, but to a growing Istanbul-based ecosystem of special production and design. Corporate logos by graphic designer Hakan Erkmen.
Honorary Advisory Committee
Experts in design, events, media, gallery, collections and business.
RareWorks and RareThings are a Vanguardis Strategy & Design venture, organised by Özlem Yalım, who chairs the committee. The committee is honorary and strategic: it is not a jury.
Gül Ökten
Architect Chief Visual Merchandising, Architecture & Construction Officer, Beymen Group · BEYMEN
Gül Okten is an architect and creative executive specialising in luxury retail environments, architecture, visual merchandising and the intersection of art and fashion. As Chief Visual Merchandising, Architecture & Construction Officer at Beymen Group, she leads the architectural, construction and visual merchandising strategies of one of Türkiye’s leading luxury retail groups, shaping its physical environments and customer experiences.
Her work spans retail concept development, architectural transformation and collaborations with leading international and Turkish architectural practices. Notable projects include the transformation of the historic Tersane İstanbul buildings into Beymen’s flagship destination, in collaboration with OMA.
With a background in contemporary art and curatorial studies, she brings a curatorial perspective to her architectural practice, exploring the relationship between art, fashion and space and integrating artistic expression into Beymen’s retail environments.
She holds a degree in Architecture from Middle East Technical University and a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. She has also completed further studies in contemporary art and curatorial practice
Neslihan Işık
CEO, BMS Design Center | Interior Architect & Industrial Designer
Neslihan Işık is an interior architect, industrial designer and business leader with extensive experience spanning design, workplace strategy, international brands and project development. She graduated from Marmara University’s Department of Interior Architecture and continued her education in Product Design at ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles. Early in her career, she worked with international design studios and contributed to projects for brands including Herman Miller and Apple, participating in the development of Apple’s global retail-store concept while working with Eight Inc. in San Francisco.
She returned to Istanbul in 2004 to join the family business and today serves as CEO of BMS Design Center, which represents and collaborates with leading international design brands including Haworth, Poltrona Frau, Armani/Casa, Baccarat and Cappellini in Türkiye. Combining design expertise with business strategy, Işık focuses on contemporary workplace environments, hospitality, wellbeing, sustainable design and the integration of international design knowledge into major projects in Türkiye.
Tanju Özelgin
Designer · TO Design
Tanju Özelgin was born in 1962 in Istanbul. He graduated as a product designer from Marmara University’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 1984. In 1987 he founded Scala Design where his work included marine design, residencial and commercial interior design and furniture and product design. Further developing his range of work, he founded Parlak Kırmızı with Ertan Binme. Together they created works in the fields of product design, computer graphics and interior design. Tanju Özelgin continues his work of product and interior design under tO Studio which he founded in 2005.
Tanju Özelgin is a designer who has worked for the last 20 years in the creation of distinct combinations of objects and spaces. His work has been especially noteworthy for its ability to transmit meaning in design through subtle and abstract uses of form, symbol and material. In his projects for furniture, interiors and architecture in Turkey and Europe he has been recognized as a designer with a distinct style that is contemporary and abstract yet deeply aware of the fundamentals of human nature and environment. His work is not traditional yet is archetypal and basic focused on the union of material and form.
Serkan Uzel
Gallery expertise · ARTHAN
Serkan Uzel is the founder and partner of ArtHan Gallery & Consulting, a contemporary art gallery in Istanbul’s Kurşunlu Han, a 16th-century caravanserai designed by Mimar Sinan. Since 2019 the gallery has focused on emerging artists, and it also provides art consulting for collectors and high-end architectural projects.
Before turning to the arts, Uzel spent more than a decade at BMO Harris Private Banking in Toronto, where he led business intelligence and client insights for ultra-high-net-worth clients, and later worked in marketing and CRM at DenizBank in Istanbul. Since 2017 he has run Nevabit Consulting, whose projects include the Rosanate rose water brand, which shares profits with women rose producers in Isparta.
A graduate of Istanbul University in Business Administration, with further study in innovation management at the University of Toronto. His combined perspective on art, design and the market informs his work on juries.
Ahu Serter
President, Fark Holding | Founder, Fark Labs & Arya Women Investment Platform | Board Member, TÜSİAD
Ahu Serter is an industrial leader, investor and entrepreneur working at the intersection of manufacturing, technology, innovation and impact investment. She is President of Fark Holding, a global automotive and industrial manufacturing group, and the founder of Fark Labs, the group’s strategy, innovation and investment platform. She also founded Arya Women Investment Platform, one of Türkiye’s pioneering gender-lens investment ecosystems, bringing together an investment fund, angel investors and an international investor community. Serter serves on the 2026–2027 Board of Directors of TÜSİAD and on the boards of organisations including Enpara and TAYSAD. Her work spans mobility, advanced industrial technologies, entrepreneurship, investment, art and hospitality.
Onur Baştürk
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, YUZU Magazine | Founder, YUZU Creative House
Onur Baştürk is a writer, editor, creative director and cultural commentator with more than 25 years of experience in media and publishing. After spending nearly two decades as a lifestyle columnist at Hürriyet, he founded YUZU Magazine in 2020, an independent international platform covering architecture, design, art, culture and contemporary ways of living. He currently serves as its Founder and Editor-in-Chief. Baştürk is also the founder of YUZU Creative House, a creative studio developed from YUZU’s editorial ecosystem, working across creative direction, spatial concepts, brand narratives and cultural projects. His work connects editorial thinking with architecture, design and contemporary culture.
Organiser
Özlem Yalım
Designer, Design Strategist, Cultural Entrepreneur
An industrial designer and cultural entrepreneur, Özlem Yalım has played a pioneering role in shaping Türkiye’s design landscape through numerous exhibitions, festivals and international initiatives.
In 1995, she was the official fundraiser for Designer’s Odyssey, Türkiye’s first design exhibition. She later played a key role in the Turkish Design exhibition at Frankfurt’s Tendence Lifestyle Fair (2004), founded doT – designers of Turkey(2005), organising exhibitions in Istanbul, Prague and New York, and initiated the multidisciplinary FesOrient International Design, Fashion and Culture Festival (2006–2007). In 2009, she contributed to the establishment of the Koleksiyon Design Foundation.
One of her most significant achievements was conceiving and establishing the Istanbul Design Biennial, following the acceptance of her proposal by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) in 2010. Serving as Biennial Director from 2010 to 2014, she developed Türkiye’s first international design biennial as İKSV’s sixth international festival. Its inaugural edition brought together 300 projects from 46 countries across two major venues, gaining extensive coverage from international publications including the Financial Times, Domus, Monocle, DAMN° and Architectural Digest. The programme also introduced design conferences, workshops, Design Walks, film screenings and academic exhibitions.
In 2016, she organized Day Light Night, Türkiye’s first exhibition dedicated to lighting culture, accompanied by a publication and film programme at Istanbul Modern.
After 30 years in corporate leadership, she established Vanguardis Strategy & Design, V/Light Network and RareWorks Collectible Design Scene in 2025-2026.
Since 2018, Yalım has written extensively on design, culture and the creative industries for publications including Cumhuriyet, T24, Medyascope, Gazete Duvar, Gazete Pencere, Arkitera and Manifold. She has also created and presented radio programmes for Açık Radyo and the YouTube series Şehirler / Şekiller, alongside contributing to numerous books.
A former jury member of NTV’s Türk Mucit, Yalım was named among Türkiye’s 50 Most Creative People by TurkishTime in both 2011 and 2012.
Her multidisciplinary career spans industrial design, cultural leadership, curatorship, publishing and the development of platforms connecting Turkish design with international audiences.
How to participate?
Selection by invitation or application.
Who can apply
— Designers and independent studios
— Manufacturers and craft-based ventures
— Design galleries and representatives
— Limited-production brands
Artists and antique galleries cannot apply.
Criteria
— Original. No copies, look-alikes, inspired or re-made products.
— With a story. Strong authorship.
— Sellable.
— Limited production.
— Lasting value. A timeless design line.
Fee
Participation is subject to a fee.
Full details and terms are shared with applicants after the form is submitted.
Application deadline 5 November 2026
What to expect?
Eleven days, fewer but better encounters.
9 December, early evening. Private tour for the press; preview and opening for advisory committee members, collectors, designers, architects, supporters, investors and invited guests.
Short, focused talks at both venues on collectible design, materials, production, collecting, design economy, originality and provenance: original voices from the design scene.
Small-group tours of the event, planned for collector circles and special formations.
A limited-attendance social format seating the design world, collectors, business and culture professionals at one table.
Participant portraits, short interviews, material stories, selection essays, video, podcast and publication content.
Additions proposed by supporters and the advisory committee are included in the programme.
Partners and supporters
Meaningful presence, not conventional sponsorship.
Open partnership roles
Main partner
Collectors Lounge partner
RARE Voices supporters
Transport partner
Bubbles partner
Technology partner
Social media partner
Furniture supporter
Project partners
Coffee partner
Water partner
Digital print partner
Lighting supporter
Photo supporter
Video supporter
RareWorks sees brand partnerships differently from the classic logo-visibility model. Partners become early supporters and content partners of a new collectible design platform in Istanbul, gaining a relationship with a qualified design and decision-maker network rather than media exposure alone. Brand positions are built into natural parts of the visitor experience: exhibition, hospitality, transport, talks, publishing, technology or service quality.
Founding partners will have the chance to shape the platform from the beginning. The ideal partner doesn’t only want to reach the RareWorks audience, but to take a respected and lasting role within it.
Venue Partners
Media Partners
YUZU InStyle Home InStyle Travel + Leisure
Press
All press are invited, without barriers or special invitations.
RareWorks’ communication aims not only to announce an event but to describe the collectible design scene in Istanbul: design economy, collecting, production culture, materials and the city’s creative industries. This is a creative-economy development move, and its success depends on the interest, space and participation of the press. Press enquiries: press@rareworksistanbul.design
Press Preview
Opening: December 9, 2026