Destiny and self-determination intertwine in otherworldy creations from Kismet by Milka. Milka Karaağaçlı İnce’s jewelry collections are soulful yet glamorous. Presenting bespoke, luxurious designs, each piece tells a story by Milka, from the power of the protective eye, celebrating female empowerment and creativity in all of its forms, the abundance of nature, to referencing cultural symbols from her home country of Turkey and the rest of the world. Milka Karaağaçlı İnce’s vision to create pieces that captivate all began with her first design of the iconic evil eye fourteen years ago, and the designer continues to find inspiration from her adventures as she grows Kismet by Milka.
Since her departure from the corporate world more than a decade ago, Milka looked inwards, channeling her innate passion for creativity to amass a cult following of Kismet lovers from all over the world with the biggest celebrities donning her pieces, from Madonna to Meghan Markle.
With her first stand-alone store in the Middle East opening its doors in Kuwait next month in partnership with Trafalgar Luxury Group, Milka is ever-so-excited. The designer flew in to Kuwait to be a part of the massive campaign video that was shot last month alongside the golden dunes of Subiya. The desertscape served as a stunning backdrop for a powerful tribe of creatives, all coalescing to celebrate the brand’s approaching arrival to Kuwait.
We sit down with the incredible designer for this special interview as she tells us more about her journey, her enchantment with destiny, and what’s to come for Kismet by Milka.
Tell us a bit more about the inception and creation of Kismet, how did it all begin for you, and why the name, Kismet?
It all began after I left my corporate career behind. I really did start small, crafting a piece or two and sharing them with my friends. Actually, the first piece I created featured our classic evil eye, which really caught the eye of my foreign friends. After receiving such positive feedback, I decided to create a bunch of other designs and introduce them under the name Kismet by Milka.
Kismet represents a higher power that is believed to control what happens in the future. It is something bigger than us, but I interpret Kismet differently. I believe that it is in our power to build the future of our dreams. It is our choices that move us towards our Kismet, meaning the power actually lies within you. It is up to you to channel that drive to a direction that fulfills your wishes, and shapes your Kismet positively. I really believe in the power of positive energy, and I wanted my brand to be related to something close to my heart and culture. Kismet is a word that has a huge place in Turkish culture. I wanted to use a familiar word that can also be pronounced easily by foreigners.
Your departure from the corporate world to pursue a career in luxury jewelry design required a great leap of faith. What pushed you to finally make that decision?
I was always a creative person, ever since I was a kid. I thrived in creative environments and always made time for my creative interests, but my career evolved in quite a different direction. As you said, leaving my career in advertising did require a great leap of faith, but at that time, I knew it was the right decision, because I felt like I had so much more to discover. At that point, after spending 14 years in a certain field, I started to feel like I was stalling in my comfort zone, which made me drift away from the path I was in. It came to the point that I no longer felt inspired, and once I got into that mindset, I knew had to focus on my personal growth and make major changes in my life. From change comes growth, and although change might be painful and challenging, it has always gotten me miles further. So I really do believe that everything beautiful that we create in life requires a leap of faith. Right now, I can easily say that I’m on a journey that excites me every single day from the moment I wake up.
What was your first jewelry collection about, and how did the design process at Kismet evolve since you started your own brand?
My first collection, Protect Me features the iconic evil-eye with the lashes. The collection was really minimal, playful, and fun. Although I created Protect Me over a decade ago, it’s still one of our forever favorites, and women still email me from all over the world to grab a piece of their own. We began with a sleek and simple design that was unique yet understated. Gradually we added on to the initial design during the creation of Protect Me as well.
Lashes started to get bigger, gems started to change color, and sizes grew, but the original form wasn’t altered that much. With 10th Eye, our ten-year anniversary collection that revisited the evil-eye, we definitely evolved in terms of design. We began to create more sculptural, risqué pieces. We can never overlook the importance of craftsmanship, and the incredible talent our jewelry makers bless us with. Back in the day, I used to work with a much smaller team, on more toned down designs. But the trends have changed, and so have I. I can easily say that I have a team that overflows with talent. Right now, we’ve expanded and established our own atelier, which is really incredible just because I can go to our atelier and directly start the design process of a new idea that I came up with. My entire team consists of artisans from Istanbul, that practice their craft as if it was decades ago. The most old school jewelry making techniques give life to our designs. It is the imperfection, the slight differences that every piece has, that brings a rawness to design. We, of course, benefit from technological advancements, but we never completely rely on to them. I think that’s what keeps our brand sincere. Returning to the design elements of the eye and other collections in general, I don’t even know where to start in terms of how much the design has transformed. Right now is, everything is bolder, bigger, and unapologetic! We’ve incorporated different textures and rhodium techniques. We’ve added even more shimmer to our designs. Although our designs make more of a statement right now, they still haven’t drifted away from Kismet’s signature style.
What constantly drives you to design and create? What have you learned about yourself since you began Kismet by Milka?
The very first thing that motivates me as a designer is my own creativity and imagination. Each collection expands my horizon. It helps grow my brand while adding so much to me as a designer and a person. The search of inspiration makes me feel alive. My brand is so much more than a job to me, it is a form of expression. I find inspiration in everything that surrounds me, from the colors in a sunset, to a pattern on beautiful tiled floor, and taking those feelings and reflecting it into the design is really motivating. The urge to improve and get better is also a factor that constantly drives me to work harder. The more I use my creativity, the more I find. I don’t think that I could ever stop, I mean, it definitely is true that creativity feeds even more creativity, so once you’re in and you’re passionate about what you do, finding motivation should be the easy part.
It’s been quite a decade for Kismet by Milka, and every collection released is a departure from the one before it, yet all your pieces share a bold and captivating aesthetic. Can you tell us about some of your favorite collections or pieces throughout the years?
Thank you for your kind words. It’s really hard to pick one or two pieces from my collections, but if I absolutely had to, I’d definitely pick our 10th Eye Ring. The eye has moved us forward to the future, and it always will have a special place in my heart. We’ve celebrated our 10th year while paying homage to my first design with the 10th Eye ring, so it will always be one of my forever favorites. Besides its sentimental value, I also love this piece because of its bold design elements. Another piece I’d pick is our Arrowhead Necklace from the collection Victory. It is one of both ours and our customers’ favorites. It is a powerful design that is still adored to this day. It definitely is a gorgeous piece that decorates your body while bringing you the energy of a warrior goddess! This heroic piece features our interpretation of an arrowhead and is decorated in white diamonds. It is a piece that celebrates design and craftsmanship. Anytime I put on this powerful necklace, I feel as radiant and powerful as an Amazon woman. The No.43 necklace from the collection Balconies is super personal as well. Its name comes from the door number of our house on the island. As you may see, it has this super structured aesthetic with a never-before-seen pattern. The pattern is an interpretation of the rococo-style wrought iron railing that our very own balcony had. We added a modern touch to the design and darkened the plain gold parts with black rhodium. This technique makes each and every white diamond glisten even more due to the striking contrast. Another unique part about this necklace is that it doesn’t consist of a single pattern. While the center of the necklace features a rather ornamented aesthetic, the back part highlights a completely different geometric pattern that’s quite sleek. I can name so many other designs and this could go on and on. I’m also really excited about our new collection Open Sea. There are unique pieces to be discovered, which I’m sure will become part of our legacy in the future.
Breaking out of Istanbul and reaching an international audience to build the loyal fanbase you have today is a massive feat. What do you think makes Kismet a cult favorite amongst celebs your international clientele alike?
It honestly is a blessing to see the celebrities that I’ve dreamt of wearing designs from Kismet by Milka. It is an incredible feeling to see my pieces come to life on famous names such as Madonna, Meghan Markle and Scarlett Johansson. As for this success… I believed in myself and never allowed myself to become discouraged beginning from day 1. I had confidence in my ideas, but I would also like to thank my amazing team. Our mutual efforts got us to where we are right now as a brand. I believe that the road to success is based on a great idea. If you have one, make sure to bring it to life. Finding the smallest idea and adding on to it, perfecting it, differentiating it paves the way to success, I mean, this can be applied to life in general, not only design. You have to work very hard and develop yourself constantly. When you combine your ideas with touches from your personality, the outcome always is extremely special. Once you have that sincere outcome, I think people react really well. I have always set my goals high and have dreamt of the best for my brand while always remaining positive. I’m really grateful for where I am now, and I’m actually incredibly motivated to be even more productive rather than being content with my current success.
We absolutely love that Kismet by Milka is empowering young women in Istanbul by supporting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Women’s Ice Hockey team. Can you tell us more about this initiative?
This is our first sponsorship as a brand, and it’s extremely exciting and joyful to be supporting such talented, fierce young women. Through sponsoring IBBSK (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Women’s Ice Hockey ) Women’s Ice Hockey Team, we aimed to convey the message #letsmelttheice while standing together with everyone who is determined to put their own identity and dreams forward. This sponsorship enables us to defy societal norms and stereotypes that surround both men and women. Our higher purpose with this sponsorship was to contribute to changing the world for the better while paving the road to a better future. The Women’s Ice Hockey team consists of free, goal-oriented, powerful, confident women who know what they want, who symbolize those who defy the judgments and impositions created by society, so it’s an absolute honor to stand besides them. We’re also very excited to witness the team grow and develop.
We are super excited to finally experience your design vision in Kuwait! Can you tell us about your current experience in partnering with Trafalgar Luxury Group to bring your gorgeous pieces to Kuwait?
So am I! I met with Trafalgar Group years ago in Kuwait. That I think, was the first step in our partnership. Years later, we got in touch again and began working together! I can definitely say that they might be the best partners I’ve ever worked with! I’m really happy to be working with Trafalgar Luxury. We understand each other perfectly, that’s why it’s really easy to work with them. We’re like a team right now, and I really do trust them as a partner. They support us tremendously, and we get along really well.
What should local customers expect from your latest collections? What do you think will be their experience when they first witness your pieces in real life and not just on social media?
So many questions just pop into my head… These types of questions come to most people’s minds. Everyday, about absolutely everything…I always think of this situation as sailing into the open sea. I don’t know what lies ahead. That’s true. But what I see, is the way the vast, naked horizon greets me, how the clouds dance over me. It’s like I’m out on this thrilling quest. Underneath me lies the unknown, dark depths of the ocean. Tales, stories, reality, and dreams… They’re all intertwined.
A sense of excitement and nervousness rises within us. But despite it all, we move forward. Nothing is guaranteed. But there is life. There is knowing that you will succeed, that you will live to the fullest, that you will not give up. These are the thoughts that pushed me to create the collection Open Sea. Now, it is time to share it with you. Another reaction we hope for is for customers to see something out of the ordinary! I’m hoping that they’ll love our new collection Open Sea as much as we do. It is a new journey for us, and we’re super excited. These new pieces are truly something when you see them in person. The unique Kismet by Milka touch can once again be seen in Open Sea, but with each collection, we try to surprise both ourselves and our customers. It is always amazing to be able to improve ourselves and create brand-new pieces without repeating ourselves.
From starting with your debut line, growing your network of artisans with Kismet’s own specialized atelier to opening over 50 sales points worldwide, what would you like to do next?
The sky is the limit for Kismet by Milka! I believe that I’ve come to this world to constantly better myself both mentally and creativewise. Improving things, investing in myself, being a better version of myself are amongst my main goals, which I believe translates into my brand. One of my main goals this year is to connect with more people from Kuwait and from around the world. Inspiring others motivates me so much. It’s one of my driving forces. Discovering new territories and new people definitely feeds my creativity. This idea of exploration and self-discovery is an important concept for me which can also be seen in our brand new collection Open Sea.
For more, please visit KismetbyMilka.com, and follow @KismetByMilka, and @KismetbyMilkaKuwait on Instagram.
Photography by Abdullah Alsaleh, @iambooda_.
