From Izmir to Aotearoa
KOYU is shaped between Aotearoa New Zealand and Izmir, Turkey on the Aegean Coast — bringing together two places we call home through a shared appreciation for craftsmanship, quality and enduring style.
Each piece carries the influence of both worlds: the ease and openness of life in Aotearoa, and generations of craftsmanship embedded within Turkish culture.
Connecting two places we call home
In Turkey, leather has long been part of everyday life. It is a material connected to utility, craft and longevity, valued not for a season but for the role it plays over many lifetimes.
That perspective continues to shape Koyu today. Intentionally produced in considered quantities, each Koyu garment is designed to bring a sense of ease, confidence and familiarity with every wear.
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An ongoing connection between people, places and traditions, brought together in every garment.
Connecting two places we call home
Two traditions, one garment
Literacy in leather
In Izmir, each of our makers has been carefully selected for the expertise, care and attention they bring to their part of the process — some in selecting hides, others in tanning, finishing or garment construction. Together they represent generations of knowledge.
Every KOYU design considers how the material will be used and how each hide can be respected — creating garments worthy of the resources, skill and time that went into making them.
Leather as everyday life
In Turkey, leather has long been part of everyday life — a material connected to utility, craft and longevity, valued not for a season but for the role it plays over many lifetimes.
That perspective continues to shape us today. Leather never felt like a luxury product; it was simply valued for its durability and its ability to accompany people through life. This is the first time that connection has found expression through fashion.