Street Style: Meet Ezgi Kaya of Seyyah
Seyyah is more than a jewelry shop, it is a love letter—to craft, to community, and to the women who make beautiful things. For founder Ezgi Kaya, opening Seyyah is the realization of a dream that began nearly a decade ago in her mother’s home in Turkey, with a single beaded necklace and a sense that something special was taking shape.
Ezgi grew up in Turkey and came to the United States in her early twenties to pursue a master’s degree in economics in North Carolina. She had originally studied translation as an undergraduate, but as Google Translate started to shift the field, she pivoted toward numbers—a skill that would serve her well later as a small business owner. She spent five years in North Carolina, first in Raleigh and then in Durham, before moving to Alexandria in 2016.
That same year, between jobs and with a few months of unexpected free time, Ezgi flew home to Turkey. Her mother, a longtime housewife with a deep love of crochet and a natural eye for craft, was experimenting with necklaces. She had been inspired by a beaded piece Ezgi happened to have, and she started making her own.
“I was watching her, and I just got inspired,” Ezgi says. “I started tweaking her designs a little bit, and eventually I thought this could be something I could take back to the U.S.”
She had also seen how many of the women around her—aunts, neighbors, her mother’s friends—were extraordinarily talented and almost entirely without an outlet. “In Turkey, so many women do amazing work,” she says, “but they don’t have a place to sell it.” The idea of building a business that could bring their craft into the world began to take root.
It took her two years to actually start, but she kept making pieces, hoping that maybe the “right” time would come up to really invest in this dream. It wasn’t until a friend looked at her and said, “Either you start now, or you’ll always postpone this,” that Ezgi finally let herself begin.
Her first customer was an artist named Megan King, who walked up to her booth at a vintage event in Arlington and offered both encouragement and a few design ideas that she used and still credits today. Soon after, Ezgi applied for a competition through Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and won a one-week pop-up at the Seedling Collective on Royal Street. That single week stretched into three years of pop-ups in the same space.
From there came endless markets across the DMV, and a permanent stand at Union Market in D.C., where the steady stream of return customers gave her the confidence to take the next step.
“That’s when I realized people would keep coming back,” she says. “I tested it there, and it worked.”
Meet Ezgi Kaya
Self-Styled
Shoot Location: Seyyah
Photography: Renée C. Gage
The path to a brick-and-mortar took three years. Ezgi had been quietly looking for the right space, but they kept slipping out of reach. Then, in a moment that felt almost cinematic, a local influencer and friend mentioned in passing that her friend at Eries Interiors had just told her they were moving next door and the storefront would soon be available.
Ezgi knew that space, and wanted it badly. She ran to Alexandria that same day, met Jess, the owner of Eries, and got introduced to the landlord. The two of them clicked immediately.
“Literally, the stars aligned,” Ezgi says. “If I hadn’t met my friend that day, I’m sure that place would have been gone.”
The result is Seyyah: a small, beautifully edited shop where minimal everyday pieces sit alongside statement necklaces that genuinely qualify as wearable art. The signature beaded necklaces are crocheted and hand-strung in Turkey by Ezgi’s mother and aunts, with each piece taking 12 to 15 hours to complete. The work is collaborative and intentionally standardized. One woman crochets the base, another frames the piece in gold beads, another fills it in. Alongside the beaded work, Ezgi carries thoughtfully chosen gold over silver everyday pieces and is preparing to introduce a fine gold collection in the coming months.
“To me, the best luxury isn’t a big brand,” she says. “The luxury is something handmade, where time goes into the piece.” Case in point: the top she wore the day of our shoot was crocheted by her mother. Stunning, unique, loved.
More than anything, Ezgi wants Seyyah to be a gathering place. She talks about putting a small table out front, waving at people passing, getting to know her regulars whether they shop or not. She talks about how, in Turkey, the local shops are what make a community unique—the places where you run into a friend, meet someone new, and remember that it’s okay to lose track of time and live in the moment.
“These small businesses are what makes a community,” she says. “That’s what I want this to be.”
When Ezgi imagines the future, she doesn’t picture a chain or a company. She pictures a room full of women laughing, trying things on, lingering. Smiling faces. A space that feels lived in.
Ezgi describes the store as a jewelry box—a place that is full of treasures with something for everyone inside it—a beautifully accurate metaphor for what you feel the moment you step inside the door, or just look through the window.
ABOUT EZGI
Your neighborhood: Old Town North
Your hometown: I always find this question a bit hard to answer. Growing up, we moved frequently because my father was in the military, so I attended three different elementary schools in three different cities, and even my middle and high school years were spent in different places. I later moved to Istanbul for college, and around that time my family settled along the southern coast of Turkey. Because of that, I don’t feel like I have just one hometown. Instead, I carry pieces of many places with me—my mom’s hometown, my dad’s hometown, the cities I grew up in, and the coastal life my family eventually embraced. Each of them shaped who I am in a different way.
What would surprise people about you? I can do belly rolls, it is a belly dance move. No idea how I learned, but I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. It’s so fun, give it a try.
Favorite book or movie: The Before trilogy—Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight. There’s something so honest about them. They make you appreciate conversations, timing, and those fleeting moments in life.
Guilty pleasure: I’m very Turkish when it comes to this. Ruffles with plain yogurt. It sounds unusual, but it’s honestly amazing. I always tell myself at least it has some protein.
Latest binge-watch: Shrinking. I love the sense of community in the show. Neighbors and friends who truly show up for each other.
Bucket list travel destination: Italy. I’d love to do a solo road trip—although I might bring my mom because we have so much fun together. It may sound a bit cliché, but I’m dreaming of renting a Fiat 500, driving through Tuscany, and then heading down to the coast. It’s something I’d love to do in the next year or two.
What would your walkout song be? “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. It feels so optimistic and free, like a reminder that your story is still being written. Also, the perfect song to sing alone in the car.
Favorite motto/quote: “Kervan yolda düzülür.” It literally means “the caravan is arranged on the road.” I love it because it reminds me that you figure things out along the way, which is how I approach both life and business.
STYLE
Define your style in three words or less: Effortless, layered, with a pop of color
The go-to piece in your wardrobe: Navy Blazer
Favorite trend: Curated ear stacks
Beauty product you can’t live without: Supergoop! Glowscreen
Boots, dress shoes or sneakers? Sneakers
WELLNESS
Go-to way to de-stress: Walking along the Mount Vernon Trail. It’s one of the best things Alexandria offers. Such a beautiful walk by the water.
Favorite way to stay active: Pilates with my coach. We started during COVID, and she’s based in Turkey. It’s become a way for me to stay connected to home, catch up on life there, and enjoy moving together over Zoom.
Wellness goal: Weight training
Want to try: Rowing on the Potomac River. I’m thinking of signing up for classes this summer.
Proudest wellness achievement: Adding more protein to my diet over the past two years. I could live on carbs all day, so it’s been a big shift and one I’m really enjoying.
HOME
Favorite room in your home: The living room. I’m proud to say I don’t have a TV there—it’s a space for reading, working from home in a beautiful setting, and hosting friends.
Antiques, modern, or a mix? A mix. I’m a millennial, so midcentury modern is in our DNA :)
Last item you bought for your home: Plants
Favorite way to entertain: Hosting dinner parties and cooking for friends
Clutter-free or well-lived in? Well-lived in
Next planned purchase: A new outdoor table
ALEXANDRIA
What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook? Getting to know so many empowering women in the community
Favorite spot in Alexandria: The tunnel—I have a little walking tour I take friends on when they visit, and the tunnel is always a favorite.
Your go-to shop: Eries Interiors—it’s so convenient being right next door, and they always have a beautiful, well-curated selection
Best food spot: Taverna Cretekou. It was the first restaurant I went to in Alexandria 10 years ago, and I still love it, the garden is amazing.
Favorite local organization(s): The Art League. I’ve taken so many classes over the years, it’s incredible how much they offer.
Annual Alexandria event you most look forward to: Alexandria's Birthday Celebration
