A Legacy Stitched by Hand
Taylora Dresses carries the name of a story that began long before I was born.
In the summer of 2002, the same year I came into the world, my father opened the doors of De Weesper Atelier in Weesp. But his story with textile started decades earlier, thousands of kilometers away.
My Father's Journey
My parents came to the Netherlands from Turkey, each searching for a better life. My father was only twelve when he fled to Amsterdam with his older brother, straight out of primary school. A whole new world opened up in front of him, and it was not an easy one. There were days he lived on nothing but bread and sugar, and nights he slept on the street when he had nowhere else to go. He started working in textile, the trade his brothers had already taken up, and it slowly became the craft he would spend his life mastering.
It was in Amsterdam that he met my mother. She had begun her studies but had to leave them behind after marrying young and becoming a mother early. Together, they built something from nothing.
De Weesper Atelier
After they married, my father opened De Weesper in the beautiful town of Weesp. For years he worked there alone, day and night, long before the first employees joined him. Slowly he built a client base defined by loyalty, people who kept returning for one simple reason: his craftsmanship. I still remember visiting the atelier recently and seeing Mr. Henk, a client who has been coming to my father for his tailoring since 2002, still trusting no one else with the fit of his suits. Moments like that still move me today.
Over the years, De Weesper grew far beyond alterations. My father built partnerships with respected names like Legs Laren, Marccain Laren, Shoeby Bussum, and Broektiek Bussum, among many others across Naarden, Bussum, Laren and Hilversum. He became the private tailor to well-known clients visiting from home, and developed a boutique custom-made concept, helping emerging designers bring their own clothing brands to life. He even built a second atelier in Istanbul, for larger scale production. Womenswear became his true specialty.
A Family Business, Passed Down
All of that effort could not simply disappear into retirement. It needed to stay in the family. As his middle child, I grew up around the atelier, but my heart was always drawn to something specific: evening wear, gala dresses, bridal gowns. I've been a fan of dresses for as long as I can remember.
My own path there wasn't a straight line. I spent years in competitive football, and in 2025 I earned my bachelor's degree in physiotherapy. I was the girl who trained with the boys and studied anatomy alongside mostly male classmates, and who still, somehow, owns 25 pairs of heels and maybe 4 pairs of sneakers.
Why Taylora Dresses
I wanted to start with what I loved most: gala dresses. Let's be honest, a gala dress is usually worn once, and then it sits in a closet forever. These dresses are beautiful, and they're expensive. They deserve to be rented, not left behind.
That's what Taylora Dresses is for. A young company built on elegance, on a pop of individuality, on timeless design that's both wearable and accessible to every woman. I believe every unforgettable dress deserves more than one moment, and every woman deserves to feel unforgettable without the price tag of buying.
What's Next
This is just the beginning. I'm currently hard at work on Taylora's second drop, a new collection of dresses built for both sale and rental. Think evening and cocktail pieces you can truly make your own, wear more than once, and one day even bring back to us to give someone else their moment in them too. It's the next step in turning Taylora into a full wardrobe of occasions, not just one night.
Alongside my work as a physiotherapist, I pour everything I have into this business, because building my own brand, rooted in my father's legacy, is the dream I'm not willing to let go of.
I'd love for you to be part of this next chapter. Book an appointment, and let's find your dress.