Fashion designer Leen Gundogdu’s business started with her love for hats.
The artist began her career studying archeology, but said her love for designing unique hats inspired her to attend fashion shows dedicated to them. From there, she started creating ready-to-wear pieces to accompany her designs — and soon, her business was born.
That business is Kivanci, a luxury fashion boutique located on Maple Avenue. The studio sells both ready-to-wear pieces and custom-made designs, including ball gowns and bridal looks.
The entrepreneur said she tailors a customer’s experience based on what they need — whether it is a complete closet redesign, a black tie outfit or a simple summer sundress. Kivanci also offers photoshoot styling and alterations.
“Kivanci is about wearing your confidence,” Gundogdu said. “It’s not just about fashion, it’s about a story. It’s about being confident in who you are, giving you that power.”
Gundogdu started her business in 2019 in Niles but moved her storefront to Evanston last year.
Kivanci boasts over 13,000 followers on its Instagram account, which features colorful dresses, bold photoshoots and videos of the founder herself sporting her custom designs on the streets of Evanston.
Gundogdu’s partner, Leo Gundogdu, said he helps bring Leen’s creative vision to life by running the business side of Kivanci.
“She has her own style but she integrates it with her artistic creativity, and to me, it’s spontaneous,” Leo Gundogdu said. “The beauty of fashion is you’re like an artist, so you could be as bold as you want.”
Some of Leen Gundogdu’s current projects include her work with Chicago artist Heidi Scheleski. Recently, the two gathered a production team of around ten people to photograph outfits inspired by the movie “Funny Face” in downtown Chicago.
Scheleski said that after she met Leen Gundogdu, she immediately knew she wanted to work with her on an Audrey Hepburn-inspired project.
“It’s very clear upon meeting her that she not only has a knack for fashion, but she also has really good connections with people,” Sheleski said. “She really easily connects to people, and she makes you feel seen, feel beautiful, and that’s why I really love working with her.”
Leen Gundogdu also collaborated with Sheleski and Chicago painter Barrett Keithly on a piece that hangs in the Kivanci storefront: an oversized jacket with the words “THIS IS ART” painted on it in hot pink.
Sheleski said the pair hopes to continue working to “bridge the gap between art and fashion” with their work.
For Leen and Leo Gundogdu, future goals for Kivanci include growing the brand’s social media presence and building a collection of ready-to-wear clothes to sell on the store’s website.
Leen Gundogdu said she hopes to make Kivanci a “trailblazer” for the Chicago fashion scene. She plans to turn Chicago into a “fashion city” like New York or Paris, she said, by connecting with other artists to make use of the city’s talent.
Scheleski said Leen Gundogdu continues to “amaze” her with her talent.
“She is so subtly spectacular,” Scheleski said. “I love to see where her designs are going and I think, in no time, people will become so familiar with not only her name, but the name of her brand, Kivanci, that it will be easily a Chicago staple, that you’ll be able to recognize it immediately.”
For the summer season, Leen Gundogdu said she plans on continuing her work with other artists for fun projects, including photographing the rest of the “Funny Face” collaboration. She also said she hopes to design painted denim jackets to sell to Evanston’s student community.
Whenever she needs inspiration for new projects, the designer said she goes to the fabric store and sees what calls to her. She also said she is inspired by her 8-year-old daughter, who likes to design clothes herself, or often returns to her old practice of using a hat for ideas.
In the summer especially, Leen Gundogdu said she gains inspiration from accessories to elevate her work.
“The trend for summer is a lot of soft colors,” she said. “My big thing is I love to pair my pieces with a lot of jewelry that elevates a lot of my looks. … Even if you’re not a fan of jewelry, maybe one belt can change the whole look.”
But the heart of Kivanci, Leen Gundogdu said, is using creativity to make other people feel confident to show off their “true self.”
In line with this mission, she said she wants to work with kids interested in fashion design to teach them the basics of the industry. Her advice for younger artists looking to follow her path is to work hard to bring your vision into reality.
“Never be afraid,” Leen Gundogdu said. “Try even if you think it’s not possible. Everything is possible, just do it and go for it. Whatever you dream of, it’s going to happen. Fashion is a big industry, just use your imagination.”
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