We spoke with graphic designer Dilara Irmak about her career, street fashion, and activities worth experiencing in her home city of Dubai.

- Dilara, we know you for creating the entire corporate identity for our group companies Novapera, vitruta, and the Klue brand. Over the past five years, you've been the unsung graphic design hero of Turkish street fashion for us. Let’s hear about you from your perspective:

Thank you! :) Working with Novapera brands has always been a pleasure for me. After gaining five years of agency experience in Istanbul, I decided to work as a freelancer.

In fact, my very first project during that time was creating the branding for vitruta, and I had so much fun designing every detail of it. These days, I’m living in Dubai and continuing to contribute to exciting projects.

- While you’ve worked on graphic design projects across many fields, we witnessed your passion for the fashion industry during vitruta.com’s launch period. Could you share some of the most memorable stores from Europe that have left an impression on you?

• Anna+Nina – Amsterdam
• Maha – Amsterdam
• Design Art Fashion Storm – Copenhagen
• Cubitts – London

- And what about your favorite stores in Dubai?

The one thing I find lacking in Dubai is street culture, and by extension, street-style stores.

That said, there are stores I love:

• Comptoir 102
• The Good Life
• Boutique 1
• Urbanist

In addition, my favorites include international brands like & Other Stories, Maje, and American Vintage, which are present in nearly every country.

- Recently, we’ve heard from many people in our circle who have moved to Dubai. Could you tell us about life there? What kind of life can a young professional expect in Dubai?

Dubai is a city predominantly made up of expats. Although it’s an Arab country, in terms of city structure and bureaucracy, it’s not much different from a European country. Working conditions are significantly better compared to Turkey.

Everyone’s priorities differ, of course, but if you set aside the heat and the lack of greenery, I think Dubai is a pleasant place to live. Ending the day by catching happy hour and watching the sunset by the sea—how bad can that be? :)

- For those who shop at vitruta and frequently visit its stores, what kind of itinerary would you recommend for a trip to Dubai? What should they see, do, and where should they eat?

Considering that vitruta’s audience is open to new experiences, I’d suggest the following for a Dubai trip:

• Desert Safari
• Camping or Skydiving
• Tasting the amazing aroma of Arabic Coffee

They should also visit Alserkal Avenue, where they can attend a chocolate tasting workshop at Mirzam Chocolate and explore the art galleries housed in the warehouses.

- In Klue’s summer collection, we see your designs featured on bags and clutches. How did it feel to see your designs as fashion products in stores?

It was a project I worked on with great passion, without ever thinking of it as "work." The process of creating patterns for Klue was very experimental for me. I combined natural patterns and pastel colors in a digital medium, resulting in a sweet and delightful project.

Seeing these designs in stores is incredibly exciting—I hope to see them more often on the streets as well!