MANU ATELIER MERVE & BESTE MANASTIR Interview

Our father Adnan Manastır is a handmade leather bags craftsman since 1961. Our childhood was spent in the workshop by combining the leftover pieces of leather and making miniature bags. For us, the bag was the most concrete form of admiration for the father and his craftsmanship, and of our childhood.

How did Manu Atelier’s journey in the sector begin?

Our father Adnan Manastır is a handmade leather bags craftsman since 1961. Our childhood was spent in the workshop by combining the leftover pieces of leather and making miniature bags. For us, the bag was the most concrete form of admiration for the father and his craftsmanship, and of our childhood.

The smell of the leather bridging the old with the new, A father who fell in love with his profession by entering the workshop to learn this craft from Greek and German craftsmen at the age of 11, the backpacks and fanny packs he was crafting with his own hands, the balcony of our oldest workshop in the opposite inn of Galatasaray High School, above Istiklal Street, Beyoğlu, admiration to history and craft…

After graduating from school and having different work experiences, we both thought that the right time had come and we decided to start this journey in 2014. That is how MANU emerged.

What kind of harmony is there between the style of the female audience you are addressing and the design line they feel closer in your products?

We address the type of woman who can harbor multiple women in her personality. But we can say that in addition to being passionate, genuine, pure and courageous in general terms, we address a woman who is sensitive and tough, weak and strong when necessary, and has an attitude. Therefore, our brand is a joint meeting point between us and the women of Manu.

Could you tell us about the “Pristine style’’ that you define as Manu Atelier’s signature style?

Pristin is a timeless design. It can be worn with the same feeling after many years. You can find masculinity and femininity at the same time, a design that is easily noticeable but not in the foreground rather from you. That’s why it’s the hero model of each of our collections.

Our patented and signed product Pristine, which has a special folding technique, in fact, it is a product that our father designed many years ago and that we have upgraded by updating it many times with our ideas. Therefore, we can say that Pristine is the apple of our eye since it has been with us since the first day, and strong and functional in design.

Shoes and bags are complementary elements of outerwear. How do you design the harmonious look between shoes and bags in your designs?

Manu People has been a complete whole in our minds. Correspondingly, In our Pre- Fall 19 collection, we presented the shoe models that we have been developing for two years. This collection was based on the elements of timelessness, design, and posture that shaped the brand’s identity from the beginning. When it comes to shoes, we tried to deviate from the usual forms by emphasizing Manu’s unique geometric and modern design details. In this way, our models like; Manu Janes, Duck Boots, Sandals, Cowboy Boot appeared.

In the cut details and color palette, you can easily find the feeling and posture Manu has had and embraced from the very beginning. In order to make shoes really comfortable and light, we worked very hard on our stretchers in detail and developed them specially.
In our collection of bags and shoes, what mattered for us was to offer comfortable, strong and diverse products that connect the past to the future and to emphasize the importance of craftsmanship in both categories. This is because in the midst of our inspiration board was the contemporary man of today’s world.

Do you supply leathers, the main material of your products from Turkey? Do you have any up- and-coming sustainability work for leather, which is one of the indispensables of shoe and bag industry?

Most of our shoes are produced in Italy and Turkey, while the entire bag production is made in Turkey. We provide our leathers from Turkey, this is because we believe that our country has an important place in leather production for many global brands for many years. We, as Manu Atelier, use this advantage to the fullest by producing domestically and locally.

We do our best to create a production that respects our environment, and we are improving ourselves on a daily basis. Since all of our production is based on hand workmanship, we continue our production activities with the highest possible level and respect for the environment thanks to our techniques such as minimization of leather waste, low electrical usage, and vegetal dying.

Could you tell us about your design and production potential and your sales and marketing strategy and export targets for the coming period?

In this path we set off to become a world brand, our goal is to take this progress a step further through a sustainable business model that respects the environment and the world in which we live.