Prof. Dr. Ümmühan Telem Gök
Hello!
I’m Prof. Dr. Ümmühan Telem Gök. I am a mother of 2, an engineer-designer who chose to see life through the eyes of flowers and colors. I was born on May 19th in 1970 in Denizli.
My high school years passed dreaming about becoming a painter. Alas, the university entrance system pushed me to become an engineer. Although I did not have academic art education, painting, drawing and design have always been an integral part of my life. Fortunately, I studied and made a career in a field that combines all three: Textiles and fashion.
I entered ITU (Istanbul Technical University), my beloved university, which I am proud to be a part of, as a student in 1988 and our bond has never been broken. For 26 years, I worked as a lecturer and researcher and carried out many administrative tasks at ITU. I was among the founders of the Fashion Design and Textile Development and Marketing programs co-implemented by SUNY-FIT (State University of New York-Fashion Institute of Technology) and ITU, which is considered one of the top 3 fashion schools in the world. I founded and managed RSG (Rectorate Art Gallery), the first art gallery of ITU. In 2016, I was appointed as the Vice Rector, responsible for Communication and Marketing. While I was in charge, I was entitled to retirement at the age of 49 and I had to make a choice. After a fulfilling management period, with many firsts, and achievements, I begged off this task and sailed away to a new path to realize my dream that I have been carrying in my heart for years. When I quit my job at the university to establish my own design brand, the journey of TELEMDEN started.
Trusting both my academic – sectoral knowledge in textile, and my vision and experience derived from dozens of studies in fashion, design and art triangle, I established my brand, which brings us together on this very web page, on the 19th of September in 2019.
I worked on design, production and planning stages of 1773ITU –the Turkey’s most comprehensive store for university branded products, opened in 2012- from the first day until September 2020. I prepared one of Turkey’s first textile upcycling collections for 1773ITU together with Lee Cooper Turkey.
I opened one of the first blogs in Turkey on flower design and tablescaping in 2012, and the first YouTube channel in Turkey on the same theme in 2018. I thematically explain the intricacies on the subject as well as my wide experience for many years in table design. I give both ideas on the use of flowers for decorative purposes and recipes where edible flowers can be used.
I have been designing beaded jewelery since 2004. This journey started with making my own jewelry, and turned into a personal brand once people started asking me to design tailor-made jewelry for themselves. Years pass by, but the excitement of seeing people wearing my designs never passes. In 2019, I prepared the Istanbul Mansions Beaded Bracelet Collection for the 16.10 Istanbul brand, as a social responsibility project. The income was donated to the ITU Clubs Association as a scholarship.
I am a real nature lover. In all my designs, I am actually inspired by the unique harmony and indescribable beauty that already exists in nature. As my biggest inspiration flowers play a leading role in my life. My journey started by designing flowers that I would bring to my friends, and turned into a passion over time. I studied flower design abroad and taught what I’ve learned at flower design workshops for special projects. I designed flowers for a variety of events.
As a retired academician, I am doing stuff that I enjoy and believe in, with a staff that I enjoy and believe in. My favorite role in life is being the mother of Kerem and Defne. My children are the most precious things in my life and they are my biggest motivation. I have countless plants in my home and office, especially succulent species. Our three adopted stray cats, Badem (Almond), Yamuk Kafa (Crooked Head) and Cimcime (Petite) live with us, but as best as I can, I take care of and feed dozens of stray cats.
I don’t go a day without coffee; I like black Turkish coffee the most. I do sports regularly, in recent years yoga and swimming mostly. I like to be alone in nature. I have been working on recycling and upcycling for many years, and today I am also keen on “waste-free kitchen”.
To anyone who reads this far and takes the time to get to know me, a big “hi” from the other side of the screen. Happy me, if I could leave a beautiful mark in your life with my designs.
