FOUNDER & DESIGNER
IT BEGAN WITH A SIGN
What’s in a name? In case of the Femponiq’s founder story: everything. Buket Meselik Duran was born on the Aegean coastline in a small town called Güllük: Rose Town. “Buket” literally means Bouquet. Twice a floral connotation, both signify beauty and courage. The vision of Femponiq was ingrained in the narrative from the very beginning.
Buket grew up under the wings of two female role models along the family line. Mother – both a teacher and artist, spent her time painting, dancing, playing instruments and writing. These forms of expression were encouraged by her mom, Buket’s seamstress grandmother. Both figures offered our founder a space of safety and trust to become the fashion designer she knew she wanted to be from a very young age. Taking determination and a hard working mentality from her father, Buket ended up a doer as much as a dreamer – the perfect mix to embark on a passionate, challenging startup journey.
FEMININE, POWERFUL, UNIQUE
Buket made her first step studying Fashion Design in Turkey, before moving to London in 2008 to continue her studies. She graduated with a BA in Womenswear from the University for Creative Arts ( Rochester - UK ), that is where things started to flourish. Before the launch of her own brand, she built up a credible name in the fashion scene furthering her education and gaining 10+ years of experience as a garment technician, creative pattern maker and stylist for influential houses including Karen Millen, Edit, Ashley Isham and Matches Fashion.
As our founder found her way in the city of London, the metropole’s offerings started to blend in with Femponiq’s brand narrative. Buket’s passion for contemporary styles got fuelled by frequent exhibition visits, female creation, and collaboration.
As her mindset and outlook remained clear, the core of Femponiq started to take shape with an official launch in 2020. In the back of Buket’s mind was always Bodrum, with its mesmerising sunsets. City and nature meet in the fashion brand that now carries the name Femponiq: a feminine, powerful, and unique expression of thriving women, made with respect for the environment and authentic craftsmanship. Femponiq’s ‘everyday wear’ pieces allow the women’s silhouette to take centre stage, highlighting and complimenting every single curve with tailored garments.
DREAM BIG, WORK DETERMINED
Even when the international press started to take notice of our founder’s story and Femponiq’s unequaled statement pieces, Buket didn’t lose sight of the goal she had since her days in the coastal family home. Today, she works extensive hours to master the next level of technical design, test innovative, sustainable materials and try out new colors and shapes – all to sculpt the female body shape in the bravest, most courageous way possible.
Buket’s north star is a clear message to women: that they are infinitely capable of doing what they were born for. Believing that talent comes in many different appearances, she translates this vision in expressive cuts, colours, and shapes. Femponiq offers women a nonverbal tool to speak a truthful message of confidence and passion, not in competition but in female collaboration – through her designs.