Cagri Kanver On Fashion And Real Estate In Miami Design District

The Miami Design District has quickly become a fashion destination. From Celine to Dior and Prada, this fashion district has cutting-edge boutiques and a new Gucci menswear boutique that just opened in time for Art Basel Miami Beach.

British designer Samuel Ross has created a set of public benches for the Miami Design District, while LVMH has partnered with the Miami Design District, as well, for a sustainability agreement where the company’s 15 boutiques will transition to green electricity by 2025, as well.

“Miami is growing, and the design district is a large part of it,” said developer Cagri Kanver, who just opened his Ege Yapi Global office in the buzzy hotspot. “When I step out of my office, the district is full of high-end fashion brands and cutting-edge design firms. It’s a burgeoning, international lifestyle district that feels like the Fifth Avenue of Florida.”

Kanver’s new office is supporting artists and designers with a pop-up showroom for art, culture, and fashion. At his opening party on December 5, he showed guests around his art-filled office, which has artworks lining the walls of the new 2,000 square foot space. It includes paintings by Turkish artists like Alea Pinar Dupree and Efe Korkut Kurt, luxury timepieces from Qannati, lightboxes by Emre Namyeter and jewelry by Akif Teoman.

Whenever he stumbles upon a fashion brand, designer or artist by chance, he is going to curate them together . He then decided to bring a select number of their pieces to Miami to showcase at his new office, just out of excitement to share the brand with his clients and friends.

“I try to help bring the right fashion, design, and lifestyle elements to my office,” he said. “It’s a reflection of the neighborhood, its culture and creativity. “I didn’t want to create your typical corporate office. People are tired of walking into a cliché office space with cubicles, they want an element of discovery.”

With a rotating cast of developers and investors passing through his office, it creates an introduction to brands and artists and designers he loves, without the pressure of a retail environment. “It’s a great opportunity for luxury brands to reach a high-end clientele,” said Kanver. “It creates a ‘wow’ factor, and it’s a chance to learn about new artists, designers, and brands.”

Instead of a sales floor, it’s more of a carefully curated, experiential selection of design pieces based on his own tastes. Kanver is showcasing items from his home country of Turkey, to brands he has discovered on his travels, while promoting up-and-coming brands, design items like jewelry and watches, and art, which will rotate twice a year.

These fashion, art and design products on view are an extension of his brand’s luxury ethos. “Luxury means something different to everyone, but it always meets our expectations,” said Kanver. “We believe everyone should live in luxury, as long as it’s affordable and part of their lifestyle.”

Next up, Kanver is going to host weekly events every Friday night. There will be DJs, talks with leaders from Miami’s design community, and cocktail parties with cello concertos.

“We plan to sponsor events and create our own events, so we can further integrate ourselves with the design district community,” he said. “Being a part of this community is such a great feeling.”