Good People of vitruta: Melike Şahin
We’re so happy to introduce Melike Şahin, the newest member of Good People of vitruta! We met Melike through another Good People member, our dear Ecem Korkmaz Gelal, and arranged to meet on a cold December day at the vitruta store in Karaköy. Even though the weather forecast predicted heavy rain throughout the day, we were all lucky that day. While we were with Melike, not a single drop of rain fell in the area where our store is located, right at the intersection of Karaköy, Tophane, Cihangir, and Tomtom. Enjoy the read!
Melike, welcome to Good People of vitruta! First, I want to start with this: your lila-colored Rains Puffer Jacket is gorgeous! Where did you get it?
Of course, from vitruta! Where else would it be? :)
Now that we've received the expected (and well-known) answer, let's move on to the things we're curious about. :)
What inspires you?
Conversations, good talks, and of course, literature. There’s no better source of inspiration for me than opening a book and reading whenever I feel stuck while writing. I love reading, and I’m quite a current reader. I also collect a lot of material from the conversations I have with my friends. And lastly: The road. Being on the road, traveling—whether by plane or car... As soon as I hit the road, I feel like I need to create something, and I draw so much energy from that.
You mentioned that you love reading; which books have you read recently and really enjoyed?
I can name three books. First, Praise of Risk by French philosopher and psychoanalyst Anne Dufourmantelle. Another one I absolutely loved is The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk. And lastly, Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, published by Umami Kitap, has been one of my most recommended books lately.
Which films and TV series have you recommended the most to your friends so far?
This topic actually came up recently when I was with my friends, and I can immediately tell you what I recommended to them. First, I really loved the TV series adaptation of Scenes from a Marriage by Hagai Levi, based on Ingmar Bergman's cult classic film. As for films, I recently watched Druk (Another Round) by Thomas Vinterberg, and I absolutely loved it—it’s an incredible movie! Mads Mikkelsen is one of my favorite actors—I even have a photo with him! So, with the film being amazing and Mikkelsen starring in it, it holds a special place for me.
Speaking of Danish directors and actors, let me take the topic straight from Scandinavia to vitruta and fashion: Which vitruta store do you love the most?
Of course, I love the Karaköy store the most. The grandeur of the building, the spaciousness inside… It’s really special for me.
What's your favorite brand at vitruta?
This is an easy question for me to answer. :) I absolutely love Rains. I first saw their raincoats in a store in Melbourne, and I really liked them, but I didn’t buy one, so it stayed on my mind. Then, when I came back to Istanbul and saw them at vitruta, I was so, so happy!
In daily life, you dress casually and comfortably, but when you're on stage, you present a completely different style. Does this ever feel tiring, or do you enjoy these transitions?
For concerts, especially large ones like those at Harbiye or Bostancı, I absolutely love working with designers. It’s such a joy to collaborate with designers who understand my music and who I am, and with whom I trust their art. I often wonder how they see me and what they’ll bring out of that, so I kind of let myself go in their hands. And it’s so much fun! Of course, for someone like me, who’s used to being makeup-free and living comfortably, everything on stage feels grand. But I think we can see it like this: after all, my job is to be on stage. So, it’s not something I find strange anymore. I’ve gotten used to these transitions.
Then, our final question is music-related. Who have you been listening to lately?
Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to Little Simz, Arlo Parks, and Tom Misch. I highly recommend them to you all. They’re all British, by the way, I just realized! :)