LEYLA TARANTO/ toz design
www.tozdesign.com
Leyla Taranto is a jewellery and accessory designer for her own brand, toz design.
Leyla received her BA in Sociology from University of Istanbul. Between 2000 and 2003, she studied jewellery craftsmanship under the supervision of Z. Erol. Following several years of designing jewellery for personal use, Leyla decided to broaden her design knowledge by attending a joint programme at Bilgi University of Istanbul and Domus Academy of Milan. Graduating in 2008, she received her Diploma in Design Culture and Management, based on her research of new creative applications for an indigenous mineral stone, oltu, used mainly in manufacturing jewellery.
In 2009, Leyla Taranto collaborated with Paris-based industrial product designer Koray Özgen to design and produce Dome candle holders. Her solo exhibition Hulaloop (2010) took place at elacindoruknazanpak jewellery studio and gallery in Istanbul. In 2011, her work was selected for the Destination: Istanbul project at MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2012, she was among designers invited by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts to create an exclusive collection expressing the theme of its 40th anniversary celebration.