I studied my major at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Fashion Design Department at Izmir Dokuz Eylul University. Shortly after my graduation, I established my own company and started making theatrical costumes.
Can we briefly know more about you? You have studied fashion design and started your career right afterwards. Could you please tell us how did your fashion design adventure begin?
I studied my major at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Fashion Design Department at Izmir Dokuz Eylul University. Shortly after my graduation, I established my own company and started making theatrical costumes. Meanwhile, I prepared costumes for various TV series and movies. While the company works were still in progress, I stepped into the private sector with Hugoboss, and subsequently designed for many global brands in export companies. In 2008, I started preparing Özlem Erkan collections and this was where my adventure in Istanbul Nişantaşı SHOWROOM began. I started to present my own collections every season in Istanbul fashion weeks. Lately, my brand collaborations and special collection preparations still continue.
You have prepared collections for many giant brands for many years; what was the reason of being preferred by them, and what are the features that differentiate you?
The most important factor in company collaborations is to analyze the target customer and to determine the needs of the brand. This is a legacy I learned from my previous work experiences. I hold almost every job of mine dear and true, what is remarkable for them might be that I hold onto my job with great discipline and dedication 🙂
Every designer has inspirational ve motivational elements that spark their ideas. What are yours inspirers? and what are the feelings that accompacy you in preparing your designs?
Nature is among the top factors that affect me most. However, I absolutely love to create these fiction by forging a fantastic bond. There is always a little secrecy and a little alchemy…
After 2008, you established your own brand and took part in many fashion weeks, events, and accomplished barnburner works. Can you elaborate for us your collections and style?
Most of my fashion show collections consist of evening gowns, cocktail, and stylish clothing products. I prepare pieces for a woman type who can internalize her own style and understand extraordinary ideas.
Which fabric types do you prefer when preparing your collections? What would you like to say about the fabrics produced in our country in this context? What are the reasons for Turkish fabrics and products being preferred in the world?
Crepe fabric is among the types of fabric I prefer the most. It is the type of fabric I use very often in the jacquard organza. There are also projects coming for domestic fabrics. I think Feretiko fabric, which is the Black Sea fabric and hemp fiber, is also important for the promotion of domestic fabric.
While the fashion of the future is in the making, ecological textile and sustainability come to the fore today. What do you think about this and what kind of Works do you sincerely actualize?
None of the unsustainable business models will take place in the future and will be pushed out of the market. I closely follow the activities carried out in this context. Moreover, the fashion design competition (Eib) organized by the Aegean Exporters Association (Eib), which I will be the design coach for this year, and will hold soonest, has invested in the future by adding sustainability to the competition criteria this year. In this project, we specifically focused quite a lot on this issue. We provide support to ensure that incoming designs are prepared in this context and completed in this way.