Tailor to the Court | The Parma Atelier

Historical “Parma Apartment House” now welcomes inventive guests to very special rooms that will bring them new inspiration, in Istanbul’s most attractive historical quarter of Pera.

Mavi Boncuk |
SOURCE

see also: Time Travel

It was the beginning of the 17th century... When the Ottoman Empire began allowing entry to Westerners, some European families migrated to port cities like İstanbul and İzmir to start new lives. The Parma family of Italy came to İstanbul from the town of Chiavari, not far from Genoa. After making a name in the importation of tea, beverages, food products and canned goods, the Parma family opened a butter and cheese shop in Bomonti in 1820, and then established Turkey’s first pasta factory. After a fire in 1850 the family relocated to Pera.

Historical “Parma Apartment House”, commissioned by grandfather Guiseppe Parma on Hammalbaşı Street, turns out to be one of the most beautiful buildings in Tarlabaşi. Paul Parma, one of 11 children, was born in Istanbul in 1854. While his family members were working in various trade sectors, Paul Parma became co-owner of a tailor shop by the name of “M. Palma & D. Lena” and eventually became its sole owner.

Sultan Clothes

The shop’s name was changed to “Parma” in 1902. The atelier and the Parma company were located in the Büyük Parma Hanı, owned by the Parma family, still standing to this day across from the “Avrupa Pasajı” in Galatasaray, Beyoğlu.

In the era of Sultan Abdülhamid II, Paul Parma made garments for the Sultan and his children, as well as procuring some of the consumer goods, mostly procured from Europe, that the Sultan’s family used. Parma’s atelier was awarded the “Padişah İftihar Madalyası” (Sultan’s Honorary Medal) in 1890.

In addition to its palace customers, the Parma Atelier also catered to wealthy Istanbul customers to sew European-style pants, jackets, vests, and other secular clothing such as raincoats, all tagged with the Parma labels. These labels bore a statement that Paul Parma was the "Tailor to the Court"!

This designation, which was used with special permission from the Sultan, afforded significant prestige to the atelier. As of 1907, Paul Parma began imprinting atelier advertisements, invoices and other printed items with the Sultan’s seal.

Paul ParmaThe medals that can be seen in this 1903 photograph of Paul Parma signify that the imperial palace recognized both the Atelier and Parma company for their commercial success. (Medals in photographer Apollon’s picture from 1903: 1885 3rd Degree Ottoman Medal, 1881 5th Degree “Mecidi” Ottoman Medal, 1862 “Nişan-ı Osmani I. Rütbe Şemisesi” and “Altın Sanayi Nişanı”. Source: Hülya Tezcan, ibid)

This information was brought to light thanks to a 2008 exhibit on the topic at the Sadberk Hanım Museum as well as the book "Tailors to the Court: M. Palma- D.Lena- M.Parma," written by Dr. Hülya Tezcan. In her book, Tezcan presents a series of Parma Atelier pieces from museum and individual private collections. During the writing of this book, Tezcan met Mario Parma, a descending from Parma family, who contributed to the inclusion of some tailoring tools and wares that were kept at historical “Parma Apartment House”. Mario Parma, who still returns frequently to Istanbul, was born in historical “Parma Apartment House”. He has a brother named Antonio and a sister named Margherita. His father was Vincenzo Parma, one of the nephews of Paul Parma. His mother, Catherina Lundsgreen, is of Swedish ancestry. Her German father, Cesar Lundsgreen, who came to Turkey in 1910, built the “Toptaşı Mental Hospital” (the current “Bakırköy Mental Hospital”) on the “Reşadiye Military Post” property upon Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman’s request in 1927. Also, her uncle Volfgang Lundgreen was the architect of the Kadıköy Silos. The family returned to Italy after the events of September 6-7, 1955.

How historical “Parma Apartment House” was built

Historical Parma Apartment HouseAccording to available documents (*) that describe contracts entered into by the Parma Family, Parma “Apartmanı” was designed in 1933 by architect Jan Tülbentçiyan on Hammalbaşı street in the “Kemer Hatun” neighborhood, on plot 15 of city block #424, on the same foundation of the first house commissioned by the Parma great-grandparents. Tülbentçiyan, whose office was in Pangaltı, designed a draft of the building for 400 lira. The project received a permit from the municipality, after which the construction was completed by the Kavafyan Brothers located in Galata “Ömer Abed Han”. Engineer Kavafyan was responsible for the technical specifications. The plasterwork was completed by the architect’s chosen plaster master Foti Kolivas and his son Dimitri. Master Foti was paid 800 lira for the plasterwork alone. The municipal concrete office, architecture office, and other trade offices of the day made sure that their services were also implemented.

historical sParma Apartment HouseThe masonry of historical “Parma Apartment House” was completed with Hasköy and Feriköy bricks, the stairs were mosaic, the entrance was marble, most of the ceilings were “papier-mache”, and the Austrian, “Stigler” brand elevator was Art Nouveau-style. The facade was designed in the same style with decorative plaster, along with iron railings, radiator covers and frames. The total cost of construction was 26,000 lira.

In the 80’s, a multiple-lane boulevard was built in Tarlabaşı by reducing the road elevation of the “Hammalbaşı Street”, which was connected to Ömer Hayyam Hill. This also narrowed the connection of “historical “Parma Apartment House”” to the road.

In 2010 architect Nejat Yavaşoğulları completed a fastidious restoration of the building in order to preserve its distinctive details. He believed there were negative consequences resulting from the addition of a multi-lane boulevard, and that only converting the road into an underground passage with a cobblestone pedestrian walkway would restore the architectural integrity and feel of Beyoğlu.