Turkish delight

Istanbul is fast becoming a fashion capital, thanks to its design community and a big commitment from the government, writes DEIRDRE McQUILLAN

IT IS THE European Capital of Culture, it is just a four-hour flight from Dublin and it is fast becoming a cool destination for savvy fashion-conscious shoppers. Istanbul has it all, that great meeting place of east and west on the Bosporus is a captivating city to visit, with tons to do and see, inexpensive places to stay, glorious food and, of course, the Grand Bazaar, the most famous and most dizzying souk in the world.

On a recent visit there with a fashion editor of Marie Claire, we were agog at the exquisite replicas of handbag styles from international brands, though we preferred to scout for local products.

The launch of Turkish Voguelast Wednesday, at the Hotel Crillon in Paris, highlighted the growing importance of Istanbul as a fashion capital in the wake of the city's recently launched Fashion Week. Like no other European government, the Turks are backing their fashion industry, forcefully recognising its value to business and tourism. Turkey is a country with a muscular manufacturing and textile industry, with more than 50,000 companies employing two and a half million people.

A new school along the lines of London’s Central Saint Martins was opened two years ago to upgrade and improve homegrown skills, and the government is giving its full support to the notion of creating its own global fashion brands rather than just making clothes for others.

“We want to have 10 of our own by 2023, the 100th anniversary of our republic,” says Hikmet Tanriverdi, chairman of the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporter Associations, which represents the manufacturing industry. “It’s a very important project for Turkey.”

The one international success story is Mavi, an innovative jeans and accessories label founded in 1991, which has flagship stores in New York, Berlin and Frankfurt.

The city is already becoming the focus of the world’s major luxury brands. A trendy new W boutique hotel has just opened alongside shops such as Marc Jacobs, Bottega Veneta and Fendi. The hip Galata area is home to avant-garde concept stores such as Laundromat and Building, showcasing young Turkish fashion designers. The Galata Moda Festival is a new street fashion fair that runs for four days twice a year, allowing young designers to sell directly to the public. The top handbag designer Misela, who trained in New York, sells from a beautiful studio in the historic Pera area. Istinye Park, a vast new shopping mall on the outskirts of the city, houses top international as well as local brands. I found Pauric Sweeney bags in one upmarket shop there.

“Things are really happening fast here,” says Hasan Huseyein, one of the city’s foremost fashion photographers. “Quality is being pushed all the time. Younger people are beginning to follow young designers, but a lot are not ready for Europe. They should be thinking about understanding Paris, London and Milan, not competing,” he argues.

A disused power station on the city’s outskirts – now a cultural centre with restaurants, a museum and nightclubs – was the venue for the three-day fashion event, which featured 24 shows from established and up-and-coming designers.

There were interesting, if drawn out, presentations from designers such as Bahar Korca, who cleverly incorporated elements of western and middle eastern dress; Hakan, whose urban daywear was polished and assured; and Idil Tarzi’s stylish knits for adults and children. Omer Suer’s new take on Victoriana was youthful and romantic; and Simay Bulbui’s free- spirited leatherwork was a good illustration of Turkey’s much-lauded expertise in this area.

There was a lovely collection from Argande using beautiful handwoven traditional fabrics in modern ways. This is the result of a United Nations Development Programme and GAP sustainability project in southeastern Anatolia (Mesopotamia), one of the poorest areas in the country, involving 300 women. Using outside designers and upgrading local sewing and cutting skills, Argande is a success story whose affordable clothes are now sold in Mudo, a big retail company with 90 stores around Turkey. Other collections during the event seemed designed for markets and tastes other than European.

Knitter Idil Tarzi, who has been in business for 17 years, said her customer is a woman looking for comfort and sophistication, whether she lives in Lebanon or Germany.

For Tarzi, the long-awaited establishment of Istanbul Fashion Week, which will be a biannual event, is a particular triumph, the result of continued pressure by her group of established designers.

“People in Turkey tend to think of young designers as creatures from outer space. We have been going to Paris and London to see what’s going on there and attend fairs, but there has been no system in Turkey. Now there is a will for greater co-operation in the industry,” she says.