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updated 3 Sep 2009, 14:56
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Thu, Sep 03, 2009
AFP
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Istanbul’s ambition to be a top fashion capital by 2023

ISTANBUL- “Our target is to make Istanbul one of the  top five world fashion capitals, alongside Paris, Milan, New York and London,”  Hikmet Tanriverdi told AFP in an interview here.
   
The new chairman of ITKIB, the body representing manufacturers and  designers, is determined to achieve that ambition by 2023, when Turkey  celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Turkish republic.
   
Tanriverdi, who took up his job a year ago, is the prime mover behind the  just-ended Istanbul Fashion Days, the first time leading Turkish labels and  designers have been brought under one roof for three days of catwalk shows and  trade fair stands.
   
Given that the textile and clothing sector is a top exporter for Turkey,  the idea of trying to forge a place for Istanbul on the notoriously tight  global fashion calendar had been mooted for years, Tanriverdi says, and he  wanted to be the man who made it happen.
   
With Istanbul designated the European capital of culture for 2010, the decision was taken to go-ahead in August last year.
   
Nobody saw the global recession just around the corner. When it bit, “we lost a lot of blood,” Tanriverdi admits.
   
But he still insists “the timing was right. We know there are fashion weeks  all over the world. Turkey has been trying to organise its own fashion week for  10 years.”
   
Although there were few gaps on the calendar, Istanbul has squeezed in just  ahead of Barcelona, before major player New York in September unveils its  ready-to-wear lines for next spring-summer.
   
A sizeable contingent of towards 100 international press, buyers and trend  spotters from as far afield as Japan, Brazil and Saudi Arabia turned up for the  debut event held on the campus of Istanbul’s technical college.
   
“Next year we will hold it twice, in February and August,” Tanriverdi says,  emphasising that Istanbul Fashion Days is intended to promote Turkey’s brand  image as a whole, not individual brands.
   
Over the past 20 years Turkey has established its reputation as a reliable  manufacturer for international labels including Gap and Dolce & Gabbana but is  now pinning its hopes on home-grown talent, a dynamic young generation of  designers with creativity to help it remain competitive.
   
“We are known all over the world as a producer. We also want to be known  for our design.
   
“We are not able to compete with China or the far Eastern countries on  price. We know that. Our manufacturing industry is so developed - their labour  market is so much cheaper.”
   
“We have to exploit our advantages. Like our location: we are so much  nearer to Europe.” Eighty percent of Turkey’s textiles and apparel are exported  to Europe.
   
“Turkey has the right infrastructure. All the elements are there. We have a  reputation for quality clothing, for reliability, for delivering on time, for  flexibility in production, for the fastest response to consumer’s request.”
   
So will Turkey make the 2023 deadline to turn Istanbul into a new fashion  hub? “We are confident we will be able to do that.” -AFP

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