By 2020, Turkey’s fashion and clothing sector will be as best as those of Italy, say the country’s industry heads. In the last few years, the Turkish textile and garment industry has made rapid strides and graduated from being just a sub-contractor of global retailers to designing and creation of fashion apparels.
Explaining the reasons for the same, Mr Özcan Torun, President – Aegean Clothing Manufacturers Association told fibre2fashion, “Turkey’s production quality is recognized throughout the world of apparel brands. The ability to prepare collections and the technical sub-structure is well recognized along with trust.
“This helps in bagging orders of well-known international brands for Turkish collections. Turkish designers are gaining prominence and are showing their collections at international fashion shows and are also organizing individual exhibitions in those fashion shows. In addition, Turkish designers who live abroad are major contributors to the global recognition of the Turkish fashion sector.”
Revealing the plans on making it a reality, he said, “In the past few years, our Association has a published a trend book for helping the members to create their own collections. Our Association also organised the ‘Wedding Fashion Fair’ in Izmir.
“In 2012, ‘The Wedding, Evening Gown, Suits Fashion Fair’ will be held for the sixth time with coordination of EGSD. Also last year, our Association began organising a ‘Wedding Dress Designers Contest’ during this fair. This contest provides a platform to budding designers in the industry.
“Within the framework of University and Industry Cooperation; our Association is organizing some performances in coordination with Aegean University Textile, Aegean University Vocational High School and Fine Arts faculties of some universities. In order to showcase the new graduates and successful designers, our association organises a fashion designers festival twice a year. In this event, designers demonstrate and sell their own products”.
Explaining the mission and vision of the association, he informed, “As an Agean Clothing Manufacturers Association, which has members from various sub-sectors, one of our missions is – training of skilled designers and to ensure the strengthening of cooperation of industrialists and designers.
“For this purpose, the activities we are carrying out within the framework of university-industry co-operation will continue to increase. On the other hand, our association will continue to concentrate on projects which will help divert public attention to designs and designers”, he summed up by saying.
