Born in Tekirdağ, Turkey, and trained as an architect in Florence, Elif Malkoçlar turned to textiles to explore the space between structure and handcraft. Together with Davide Dell’Acqua she founded Craafts, a studio in Scandicci near Florence that develops handmade textiles for the world’s leading fashion houses.

At the heart of Craafts is Elif’s archive: thousands of textile and leather swatches, carefully categorized by material and technique. For designers, this archive is a treasure chest of possibilities: »That swatch can turn into a shoe, a bag, a garment, whatever you want… this is the only way you can get something original, something no one has ever done before.«

Elif collaborates with women in Turkey and Albania, whose expertise in crochet and weaving has shaped Craafts for more than twenty years. Together they have developed a unique “language” that allows them to create with remarkable precision and imagination. Beyond luxury, this collaboration provides steady income and greater independence for the women involved.

By designing not only products but also her own materials, Elif ensures each creation is unique. She values manual processes, where her hands and mind work together in ways no machine can replicate. In her words, the archive and her practice offer designers both freedom and originality—reminding us that true luxury lies in crafts.