The name already reveals the key to understanding the project. Soie, the French word for “silk”, is the new 35-metre concept by Turkish designer Alperen Aslan. The reference to the fabric is not about interior decoration. Instead, Aslan takes its movement, softness and the way it falls and adapts to space as the starting point for the yacht’s design language.
The idea runs through both exterior and interior, taking different forms. Outside, it translates into continuous surfaces, layered volumes and curves that follow the profile. Inside, it emerges through rounded forms, floating furniture and integrated lighting, with the aim of creating open, visually light spaces. Soie therefore brings together a very specific material reference and contemporary naval architecture.
From silk to form
Translating silk into a yacht without using it simply as a decorative motif means starting with movement. In Aslan’s design, the reference to the fabric is expressed through the continuity of the lines and the way the surfaces appear to flow from one volume to the next.
On the exterior, this principle meets more assertive elements. Monolithic dark-glass bands run along the superstructure and contrast with the vertical bow, giving the profile a sharper character. Around them, curved surfaces and overlapping volumes recover the sense of fluidity from which the concept originates.
Technical elements are also integrated so as not to interrupt this visual continuity. The air intakes, for example, are incorporated into the exterior surfaces, avoiding additional elements that might interfere with the hull geometry. The result is a balance between two different approaches: the verticality of the bow and the dark glazing on one side, and the softer treatment of the surrounding surfaces on the other.
Inside, silk becomes space
It is inside that the reference to silk becomes most apparent. The inspiration does not come from the physical presence of the fabric, but from its characteristics: softness, fluidity and lightness. These qualities are translated into the interiors through rounded forms, softened corners and floating furniture that appears almost to lift away from the floor. LED lighting is also integrated into the surfaces, following their lines without interrupting the continuity of the space.
The result is a series of open, uncluttered interiors, with fluid visual connections between different areas. A warm colour palette and large windows reinforce this impression, allowing natural light to enter the interior while maintaining a constant relationship with the sea.
An open-plan main saloon
The same idea of fluidity returns in the main saloon, conceived as a large open-plan space. The lounge area and custom marble coffee tables define the setting without relying on rigid divisions between different functions. The TV unit also helps organise the saloon: integrated into the design, it acts as a space divider between the different areas without completely separating them. Each zone can therefore retain its own function while remaining visually connected to the others. The approach follows the same principles found throughout the interiors: few dividing elements, soft forms and spaces that communicate with one another, maintaining a sense of openness and continuity.
The owner’s suite opens up to the sea
Located on the Main Deck, the owner’s suite includes a dressing room and a marble-clad bathroom. Its relationship with the sea is defined above all by an integrated fold-down balcony, which opens the cabin directly towards the exterior. Once lowered, the balcony creates a private terrace overlooking the water, extending the owner’s living space and creating a more direct connection with the surrounding landscape.
Soie can accommodate a total of ten guests across five cabins. In addition to the owner’s suite, the layout includes four VIP cabins. Crew accommodation is designed for up to six people, including the captain.
Outdoor spaces between socialising and privacy
The exterior areas are arranged to provide spaces with different functions and levels of privacy. The flybridge features a large social area with an integrated Jacuzzi, while the foredeck offers a more secluded and private lounge.
Aft, the beach club focuses on the connection with the sea. A hydraulic swim platform increases the usable surface and facilitates access to the water, creating an area dedicated to relaxation and water activities. Rather than concentrating every function in a single outdoor space, the layout assigns a distinct purpose to each area: the flybridge for socialising, the foredeck for privacy and the stern for direct contact with the sea.
A semi-displacement hull for soie
Alongside the design choices, Soie features a semi-displacement hull, developed to provide stability and efficiency at lower speeds while maintaining greater agility as speed increases. Comfort is further supported by a zero-speed stabilisation system, designed to reduce the yacht’s movement while at anchor. Design and naval architecture are therefore developed in parallel, preserving Soie’s clean forms while also addressing the yacht’s behaviour under way and the comfort of those spending time on board.
