ZEYZANI Boots And Shoes Are One-Of-A-Kind A high quality, Mediterranean-styled boutique, Z's Treasures provides unique, exotic and affordable fashions, jewelry and home accents. Z's is the exclusive carrier of Zeyzani boots and shoes which are made from hand-stitched silk with vibrantly colored motifs that are expertly crafted into various boot and shoe designs. With each pair having their own distinctive pattern, no two pair are the same.

 

TRAVELHOST Exclusive Interview with Zeynep Yurderi, Fashion Designer and Owner of Z's Treasures

 

Q: I see that you were born in Izmir, Turkey. What brought you here to America and how did you happen to get into fashion/footwear designing?

 

A: Yes, I was born in the most beautiful city of Turkey, Izmir. I came to the USA in 1997, right after graduating a private high school, ITK, where I studied English. I first studied International Business and shortly after, went back to study Marketing and Management at University of Washington in Seattle, WA. I lived in Seattle for 10 years and then met the love of my life, Tom Marasheski, during one of my business trips to the East Coast. In 2007, Tom and I got married and moved in to our beautiful home in Moorestown, NJ.

Growing up in Turkey, I was always mesmerized by the level of detail in the designs of the ancient Ottoman Empire and the Central Asian arts. In the summer of 2009, I felt it was time to hang up my business suits as a director for a pharmaceutical marketing company to pursue my passion for designing fashions that embody the ancient designs of Central Asia and utilizing my business skills to open my own boutique, Z's Treasures. Now being able to share the designs that I have admired for so long by incorporating them into modern day fashions through my Zeyzani line of boots, shoes, and bags is a dream come true.

Q: Your footwear is unique in many ways. The obvious uniqueness is the design, but as I show women your boots there seems to be a deeper, more emotional appeal that you have tapped into. I'm sure you feel it too. What is behind your customer's love affair with your footwear?

A: Sexy is a way of thinking. When it comes to feeling sexy it's not just about what you wear, it's all about self-awareness. My intent with my Zeyzani line is to help women increase their self-awareness and discover their inner sensualist through Zeyzani boots. Women are at their peak when they feel and look sexy. With that sexiness comes confidence, especially when it emanates from such a beautiful, hand-crafted piece of art that is one-of-a-kind. So adding a pair of Zeyzanis to their wardrobe not only makes them feel more sexy and confident, but also means that everything they wear with them becomes a whole lot more fun!

Q: The design of your footwear is truly remarkable. What fascinates me is how you have blended a Turkish tradition with a contemporary style. What is the history of suzani cloth?

A: Zeyzanis are made of suzani fabric, which is a type of embroidered and decorative tribal textile made in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazahstan and other Central Asian countries. Hand-woven fabrics are used for the embroidery foundation cloth.  These fabrics are woven in narrow strips.  Most current-day pieces are a silk/cotton blend: a silk warp is most usual, with cotton wefts.  In some satin-weave pieces the weft is also silk. The fabrics are often lightly dyed to produce a soft beige tint--a so-called "tea wash." Occasionally other colors are used for the ground fabrics.

For large suzanis, several of the fabric strips are first sewn loosely together and the pattern is drawn on them; then they are taken apart so that two or more family members or friends can work on the embroidery simultaneously.  Later when the panels are rejoined, the pattern parts may not match perfectly, and extra stitches may be added in the areas along the seams. It's the old, traditional approach in this hand-crafted art form.

Q: Your Haddonfield, NJ boutique is called Zs Treasures. How did you happen to choose Haddonfield as a location for your boutique?

A: I always wanted to own my business, I was a big part of the Entrepreneur Club at UW (University of Washington) and followed successful business owners. I had the honor to work for one for about three years and learned a lot from him. And when the opportunity presented itself in 2009, we opened our first location in Haddonfield.

Haddonfield is such a unique town with all the historic buildings, elegant houses, shops and restaurants and last but not least wonderful people.. And I believe Zeyzani Boots are as unique and wonderful as Haddonfield is.. Shopping in Haddonfield is for the quality and style-conscious customer, and that is exactly what we provide at Zs Treasures, and why we are so successful in Haddonfield.

Q: You have received quite a bit of early success, winning SJ Magazines Best Boots and being featured in several local publications. What other publicity have you and your designs received?

A: In February 2009, Zeyzani boots were promoted on the Reuters Sign in New York Times Square and also on the Fashion Show Mall sign on the Las Vegas strip. South Jersey Magazine awarded Z's Treasures their "Best of the Best" award for "One of a Kind Finds" and SJ Magazine honored Z's Treasures with its "Best of SJ" award for "Best Boots" in its Best of 2010 issue. Along with those, in September 2010, an Australia Fashion Magazine stated, "... ladies get ready to slip your 'pins' into the hottest footwear sensation that is taking America and Europe [and now Australia] by storm. Whether you choose sexy over-the-knee, knee-high, short, cowboy, high heel, short heel Zeyzani, there is one thing for certain youre going to get noticed!"

Q: You sell more than Zeyzani footwear and suzani cloth inspired accessories in your boutique. How do you describe the additional items that you sell?

A: When I opened Z's Treasures, my vision was to bring a part of the Mediterranean and the beautifully handcrafted arts unique to this region, to the US to share its wonderful crafts and fashions. You'll find many of the same items that you would find at a bazaar in the Mediterranean, such as jewelry, hand-painted pottery, hand-etched copper, all kinds of wall decorations, and linens like Turkish towels and table cloths, pashmina scarfs, and a variety of hand-knitted fashions. We have the most unique gifts that can't be found anywhere around like Aladdin oil lamps, hookahs, and many more unique items.

Q: When you are buying for the store, what sort of things are you looking for?

A: On my trips to Turkey, I look to bring back and share some of the latest fashions of the region like silk necklaces, or any items that are unique - unique and of high-quality is what I have built my name and my boutique on. As much as I love designing, I love and enjoy just as much, all of the handcrafted treasures that artisans make that I can bring back and share with my customers.

It is also a big help to have my husband Tom along, who gives me an unbiased and an "American" point of view of what would be of interest to our customers. I must say, having my boutique open now for over a year, I keep a keen ear to the voice of my customers and what they like and enjoy. It's amazing how many stories my customers share with me on how much they and their families/friends loved the unique items they purchased from Z's Treasuresit's quite rewarding.

Q: I have also seen you use a blue-ish round stone with a white swirl and a black dot at the center. Is that symbolic of anything?

A: Yes, that is called nazar boncuk aka evil eye, charm is an "eye, "often set on a blue background. It is believed that it stares back at the world to ward off the bad spirits and keep you and the things you own safe from harm. Nazar Boncuk goes back thousands of years. The earliest written references to the nazar boncuk occur on Sumerian clay tablets dating to the third millennium BC. Throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, many people believe envious gazes or high praise from others might bring you bad luck. It is believed that the people, who praise you, probably mean you no harm, but still, bad spirits can piggyback in on their words or looks, and put a bad luck curse on you or the things you own. It is one of the most common items of decoration in any Turkish home, in any car, home, or on any person. You can see the charm hanging above doorways, protecting the house; dangling from the wrists of women, protecting the person wearing it; or even planted right into the cement outside modern office buildings, protecting the business; and always, you will see them pinned to the shirts of newborn babies, protecting the baby.

Q: You have begun to market your boots internationally. Can you share your developments?

A: 2010 was the first full year for Z's Treasures and our Zeyzani line of products. Our focus in 2010 was to move the physical store location to Haddonfield's main street on Kings Highway, while we grew our retail business. However, as retailers from around the world saw our press releases and our products on www.Zeyzani.co and we were approached to sell our Zeyzani line internationally, which we now have retailers from Chile to Australia. Now that we have moved into a larger store, and have our manufacturers and suppliers aligned, we are ready to market our Zeyzani line to retailers throughout the US and establish Zeyzani Sales Agents and Distributors around the world.

We have retailers and Zeyzani sales agents all throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Cyprus, Nigeria and Norway. The specific locations listed on our web site www.ZEYZANI.com

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