Barıs Manço and His Kaftan
Pronounced “Barush Muncho”
Born in 1943, he was named Barıs, meaning ‘Peace’, in longing for the end of WWII.
A true performer, also composed more than 200 songs, writing incredibly in-depth lyrics about every-day subjects such as tomatoes, peppers and aubergine, donkeys and bears, belts, cufflinks and more.
One of the biggest artists to come out of Turkey, Barıs Manço was renowned for his flamboyant style both on and off stage. Seen here wearing a Kaftan which was his costume of choice through the 70s and beginning of 80s¹. Watch him talk about this special Kaftan (in English), followed by a live-show of his band Kurtalan Ekspress performing “ankle bracelet” through this link.
Kaftans originated in the Middle East, and are known for their wide sleeves, length and loose fitting. Historically worn by both men and women, and a common attire of the Ottoman Palace, the different design elements demonstrated the social status or role of the wearer.
Now trendy all over the world, this style of dress first began to spread to the western world when Alexandra Feodorovna (the spouse of the last ruler of the Russian Empire) was crowned wearing a kaftan in the style of the traditional Russian coronation dress (1894)².
In representation of this important cultural treasure, we are always on the look-out for unusual Kaftans. You can see what we currently have in our collection below.
