HAREM London x Hospital Rooms Charity Collaboration

Harem London is a London based contemporary fashion brand, founded by two Turkish sisters; Dee Ozturk and Begum Ozturk. Born and raised in Istanbul, the sisters spent the second half of their life in London, hence Harem London is the perfect representation of this cross-cultural journey.

The brands blend inspiration from ancient Anatolian techniques with contemporary luxury casualwear. All garments are sustainably handcrafted in Harem’s East London studio, from premium organic and upcycled fabrics.

Hospital Rooms is a mental health charity founded by artist Tim A Shaw and curator Niamh White, after visiting a mental health hospital. They were shocked to find that the hospital environment was cold and clinical. From that day onwards, the pair have been working with artists to renovate mental health hospitals, in order to turn them into more welcoming and warmer places for vulnerable patients with mental illness.

Harem London reached out to Hospital Rooms, wanting to be a part of the great collaborations and workshops the charity organises for a well needed cause.

After hearing Hospital Room’s story and an inspirational brainstorming session, the creative director of Harem London, Dee Ozturk, designed a limited edition beanie for the charity. Dee decided to design the hat to be embellished with colourful evil eye beads, which are also removable, to “protect the mind from the evil eye”. This beanie design is a nod to the heritage of the Harem London’s Turkish culture, while communicating the importance of mental health and raising money for a good cause, in a colourful and joyful way.

“Evil eye beads” are a big part of Turkish and mostly Middle Eastern culture, that symbolises protecting one from negative energy and “bad eyes”. It is a superstitious belief embedded in the roots of the cultural heritage, that even when a baby is born, it is a tradition to gift an evil eye bead with a gold coin, to wish the baby and the parents protection from bad energy.

Harem London designed the limited-edition beanie, in collaboration with Hospital Rooms, with the message to remember to always think positively, and to let go of the negative tricks that our minds play on us. Especially during the pandemic, it is crucial to focus on a positive mindset and stay hopeful.

Hospital Rooms x Harem London collaboration will launch on 3rd June 2021, exclusively sold on Hospitalrooms.com

The limited edition “Harem Exclusive Beanie” will retail at £32, and only 40 hats will be available. The beanies are handcrafted in Harem London's East London studio and made of 100% organic cotton ribbing.

Read more about Harem London on the brandpage: fashionunited.com/companies/harem-london