Istanbul: The Rise of the Fashion Empire
European capital of culture for 2010 Istanbul has no lesser ambition in the field of fashion. The city is determined to become a world fashion capital playing in the same league as the Big Four - Paris, New York, Milan and London.
Articulated first last August at the launch of the Istanbul Fashion Days renamed since Fashion Week (IFW), this vision has not been downscaled.
On the contrary. Talking to over 200 reporters and buyers from the countries as far away as Japan and Brazil during the press conference at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul Zafer Calayan, State Minister responsible for foreign trade, emphatically re-iterated that by 2023 Istanbul will be a global fashion centre with ten new Turkish fashion brands on the international market. “Yes, we can” he added humorously. Nothing of a big dream rather a strategic goal, and doubt not realistically achievable given that the country has a well developed infrastructure of textile manufacturing and a highly skilled work force.
Fashion in Turkey has always been about business. After all, the textile and apparel industry is the backbone of the national economy contributing 8% of the national GDP and is responsible for 20% of all industrial production. Whereas in the past the efforts were on manufacturing, the time now is to focus on raising Istanbul’s profile as a capital of style makers and trendsetters and concentrate on nurturing home grown fashion brands. Istanbul fashion Week is expected to become the premier platform for Turkish fashion and its distinct style.
In recent years Istanbul has developed into a bustling megacity with a vibrant creative scene. It was dubbed “coolest” city in Europe by the Newsweek magazine. Istanbul’s unique geography and infinite cultural influences feed imagination of creative minds. Just like in arts and music, fashion has seen resurgence of designers turning to express their individuality rather than following pronounced trends.
Arzu Kaprol, Özlem Süer, Mehtap Elaidi, Hakan Yıldırım, Bahar Korcan, Idil Tarzi and other fashion designers have contributed to building a new image of fashion ‘MADE IN TURKEY’. Of the new generation Asli Filinta caught the eye of the international fashion community. Her collection “Kisses Can Fly” was recently featured among the fashion super brands like Chanel, Fendi and Lanvin at Magazine Alive Store in Tokyo, a new concept pop-up store by Comme des Garcons.
‘Istanbul never stands still (and that’s not a coded reference to its seismic activity). With a high turnover of bars, cafés, restaurants, boutiques and seasonal shifts, there’s always something new,” aptly noted Wallpaper.
With Istanbul Fashion Days, Istanbul once known as the “city of world desire” is set to become a new meeting place for what’s new and happening in fashion.
Istanbul Fashion Week Winter takes place February 3-6, 2010 in Santral Istanbul.
24 runway shows; Trade fair with 24 ready-to-wear and 17 designer stands
For more information, go to //www.ifw2010.com.
