PROFILES OF THE WEEK · BY SOPHIANNA BERGONZI

Oz Sevince: Designing with Precision, Emotion, and Obsession

 “My signature isn’t a style. It’s a feeling.”

There are designers, and then there are visionaries those who don’t just decorate spaces, but compose them like symphonies, threading emotion through every texture, silhouette, and line. Oz Sevinc is unmistakably the latter.

With a career born from raw instinct and shaped by relentless refinement, she has carved out a language of design that is entirely her own. From sketching on the walls of her childhood home to redefining what luxury can feel like aboard a superyacht, Oz’s journey is a masterclass in courage, precision, and poetic rebellion.

“I wasn’t just drawing. I was learning the language of design, one only my heart understood, until I taught the world to see it too.”

What was your earliest memory of falling in love with design, and how did that moment shape your path?

 

It began long before the world called it design. As a child, I would draw everywhere, on walls, on my parent’s cars, on breads, any surface that would hold a mark. My pencils had names, spoken in a secret language no one else could understand. They were my first collaborators, silent witnesses to a world I was creating line by line. Back then, I didn’t know these sketches were the beginning of a lifelong pursuit. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t just drawing. I was learning the language of design, one only my heart understood, until I taught the world to see it too.

“The sea gives me rhythm. Art gives me perspective. Sports give me focus. It’s all one creative ecosystem.”

What passions outside of interiors fuel your imagination, and how do they manifest in your work?

Sports, art, photography, fashion, beauty, the rhythm of the sea, travel, and different cultures. They all feed my imagination in ways I can’t separate from my work. My work and personal life are not separate as they complete each other. Sports sharpen my discipline and focus. Art and photography train my eye to see composition, light, and narrative in every scene. Fashion and beauty remind me of the power of elegance, proportion, and transformation. The sea gives me a sense of rhythm and freedom, while travel and cultural discovery open my mind to new textures, colors, and ways of living.

“Project C wasn’t just a commission. It was a shared dream taking shape.”

How did your collaboration with Feadship begin, and what did it feel like to enter the world of superyachts with such a defining project?

It began with friendship. Through mutual friends in Feadship, I got to meet a dear friend Farouk Nefzi. Farouk not only believed in me, he believed in us as a team. He saw something in our vision before the rest of the world did, and he connected us with the legendary Dutch shipyard, Feadship. What followed was not simply a design commission, but a shared dream taking shape. We spoke the same language of precision, elegance, and innovation. From our very first conversations, Feadship didn’t just see a designer they saw a storyteller who could translate emotion, technology, and artistry into a yacht’s interior.

 

Designing for a yacht is a world of its own, strict technical constraints, weight calculations, and flow optimization. What was new for you in this process, and how did you translate your aesthet- ic into this floating world?

Designing for a yacht is unlike any other environment, it’s architecture in motion. Every material, every detail, even the placement of a single element, is influenced by strict technical constraints: weight limits, safety regulations, and the way spaces must flow in a constantly moving environment.

What was new for me was learning to think in millimetres, not just centimeters, to balance my aesthetic vision with naval engineering precision. Instead of seeing these constraints as limits, I treated them as a framework for innovation. Materials were reimagined to be lighter without losing their richness; furniture was designed to be both sculptural & secure; layouts were optimized for movement yet still felt open and elegant.

We reimagined materials from the inside out lighter, smarter, more sustainable without ever sacrificing elegance.

What design elements or materials in Project C are you most proud of, where you feel your signature is truly present?

In Project C, my proudest achievement is the development of sustainable products created exclusively for Feadship, materi- als and finishes that respect the environment without compromising on luxury. This wasn’t just a design choice; it was personal. Growing up in Cyprus, I was surrounded by a culture that valued resourcefulness, where nothing was wasted and nature was treated with quiet reverence. The textures, colours, and natural rhythms of the island became a subconscious archive I’ve drawn on my whole life.

For Feadship, I channeled that heritage into innovation, reimagining traditional tech- niques with modern sustainability in mind. From responsibly sourced materials to finishes with a reduced environmental footprint, each choice was a deliberate step toward a more conscious future for yachting. These elements blend seamlessly into Project C’s aesthetic, proving that sustainability and beauty are not opposites, but partners in creating something timeless.

For me these are more products than design features, they area bridge between where I come from and where the industry is going.

What emotions or experiences do you aim to create when someone walks into a space you’ve imagined?

I want people to feel before they even have time to think. That first step into a space should spark an instinctive reaction, a sense of wonder, comfort, or even quiet awe. My goal is to create environments that speak to both the senses and the soul, where tex- tures invite touch, light draws the eye, and every detail feels intentional.

I aim to create time resilient interiors, spaces that feel as relevant and captivating decades from now as they do on the day they’re unveiled. I also love weaving in layers of surprise for my clients and owners: the kind of details that only reveal themselves over time. The more they live in the space, the more they discover, a line, a texture, a hid- den connection, and with each discovery, they feel the depth of thought behind it.

In a world obsessed with trends, I design for time, not just for now.

What do you believe you bring to the world of yacht interiors that is fresh, maybe even unexpected?

In a market where luxury often follows familiar formulas, I aim to bring a sense of narrative and individuality to every yacht interior I design. My approach blends cutting edge technology with the intimacy of bespoke craftsmanship, ensuring that no two spaces are ever alike. Each project begins with a story, a vision of how the owner will live, entertain, and feel onboard, and from there, every element is curated to create an experience as unique as their fingerprint. It’s less about simply decorating a yacht, and more about crafting an environment that surprises, delights, and ultimately becomes part of their most treasured memories.

We reimagined materials from the inside out, lighter, smarter, more sustainable, without ever sacrificing elegance.

And finally, what’s next? Do you see yourself continuing in yachting , or are you drawn toward something even bigger?

For me, the future is about redefining the very way people experience space. Whether on water or on land, I want to create environments that merge art, technology, and emotion into seamless worlds. Imagine interiors that respond to mood, spaces that tell evolving stories, and design that feels alive in the moment.

What’s next is a new chapter of boundary-breaking projects, collaborations that blur lines between disciplines, fusing architecture, art, and innovation. It could be a superyacht, it could be a private residence, it could be something entirely unexpected. I would like to surprise the design world with historical clues where only trained eye can understand, I would like to bring my obsession to cartoons to the reality, I would like to create the world where dreaming big is not big enough. I’m not just designing spaces. I’m designing the future of how we live, connect, and dream.

September 25, 2025