Ritz-Carlton Magazine 4 in Studio
4in studio


They are world-class entrepreneurs, but artists at heart.
They find inspiration in a piece of fabric, a rooftop or an
empty stage
— wherever a blank canvas exists upon which
innovation takes flight. Indeed,
when it comes to theater set
and costume designer Garance Marneur, weaver
and restorer
Hayk Oltaci, furniture architect Werner Aisslinger and fashion
legend Miuccia Prada, their legacies will not be defined by sales
and
merchandising. They will instead be remembered for the
passion they brought
to their craft.
by karlin mccarthy
ritzcarlton.com 4 in studio
inspire hayk oltaci
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN
VOTE 4 in studio
Name: Hayk Oltaci
Where in the
world: New York, where his business,
Hayko Fine Rugs and Tapestries, has
operated at 857
Lexington Ave. (at 65th Street) for 12 years.
Known for: Celebrating his heritage through sublime
rug
designs. Oltaci’s showroom is the place where
patrons worldwide come for the
finest in authentic rugs.
He works closely with museums, private collectors
and
auction houses such as Christie’s, often over Turkish
coffee. Born
in Istanbul to Armenian parents, he came to
New York City in 1988 with his
wife (both of his daughters
were born in the U.S.). He learned his craft
while
living in Strasbourg, France, for 10 years.
Quote:
“Above all things, an honorable and forthright
relationship is by far the
most important thing to me.”
What inspires him: An experience
from his youth
sparked a lifelong pursuit of excellence, as Oltaci explains:
“My grandfather gave me a beautiful Turkish prayer rug
from the Konya
Ladik region when I was 17. There was
a hole in the center of the rug and
the selvage end was
missing. We knew a repair man and we brought it to him.
Three months later, we got it back. My heart was broken;
it was horrible
what they did to it. They put a patch on the
hole and cut off the ends! It
looked like a cheap machine-
made rug. This rug had been a beautiful work of
art, like
a great painting. Now it was ruined by bad repair. I knew
at
that moment I wanted to help save these great works of
art from my country.”
Next projects: Oltaci will be conducting classes in
the
ancient art of rug weaving every month, a way to
share his passion with
patrons. “Most of our clients are
by now old friends — they come back over
and over
through the years,” he says. “We greatly value these
long-term
relationships. We hope to meet more new
friends and look forward to working
with them in the
coming years.” (To find out more, go to
http://www.hayko.com/ or call Oltaci’s
showroom at 212-717-5400.)
ritzcarlton.com editor’s
letter
devoted to the arts The Ritz-Carlton
hotels around the world celebrate and sup-
port the arts in so many unique
ways, we felt it was important
now to present some of these experiences in
our magazine.
Considering the beautiful objects and collections we
display
in our hotels and resorts, the local exhibitions we underwrite
and partner with, and the launch of the new Ritz-Carlton Film Se-
ries
(which you can read more about in our profile of cinematog-
rapher Joshua
Hess on page 154), it’s more timely than ever to
introduce — or
re-introduce, as the case may be — the people
who literally design, create
and color our world.
What better way to announce this special issue than
with
an original work of art on our cover? Having the opportunity to
review the work of illustrators from around the world was a real
treat
for me, and when we decided to commission a piece by
the international
artist Brett Ryder, I was thrilled with the beauti-
ful piece he came up
with. The more I look at it and its sugges-
tion that we are virtually
limitless in how our imaginations can
fly forth, the more I feel it portrays
not only who we are as a brand, but
what we truly offer our guests in the
way of thrilling experiences in the
arts. From Picasso exhibits in our
lobbies to nature programs on our
beaches to packages that let our guests
get behind the scenes at local
museums, The Ritz-Carlton celebrates the arts
every single day.
When I was in Palm Beach recently, I noticed the
unique collection
of “shoes” in the presidential suite (anytime I see shoes
I am auto-
matically intrigued — what girl is not?). The story behind the
design
of these shoes and the artist who creates them is fascinating, as is
the curation of the glass and sculpture collection at The Ritz-Carlton,
Westchester. You’ll see those and more about making a hotel room
feel
more like a home in our story “Hotel, um ... Art?” on page 136.
Deciding
which craftspeople to profile for our “In Studio” feature on
page 127 was an
artistic exercise in its own right. We had to narrow
a list of more than 15
fascinating people down to four, and I’m sure
you’ll like whom we have
decided to focus on. I am especially touched
by Turkish rug designer
Hayk Oltaci’s
story about how he become
involved in restoring these precious works of
art.
Finally, though not technically part of the art theme, this issue’s
spa
feature does have its artistic elements — and a very special meaning
for me. When I was pregnant last year, one of my favorite ways to relax
was to enjoy several maternity-specific massages and the VIP treat-
ment
one receives at our properties when one is a “nurturer to be.”
You’ll learn
all about that (and the fabulous Mama Mio products that go
with these
treatments) on page 148. I’m still enjoying the line’s Tummy
Rub and Shrink
to Fit lotions even with no baby on the way.
Have a great summer. We hope to
see you around the world,
Jamie M. Hoffman
Corporate Manager,
Marketing
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
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