Major Fashion Shows in Turkey
Fashion is big business in Turkey, and this is no more evident than in Istanbul itself.
Whilst there might be some work to be done before Turkey reaches the dizzy fashion heights of big countries and cities, such as London, Milan, Paris, and New York, it is starting to take baby steps, followed by giant leaps, towards fashion kudos.
Universities are now offering degrees in fashion design, hoping to bring forward a new generation of designers in the years to come. Istanbul also recently began its bi-annual fashion show, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul March saw the 2018-19 Fall/Winter show take place, and this is tis 11th season of existence. It goes without saying that this is the biggest fashion event in Istanbul for sure, but also across the entirety of Turkey. You won’t find that many major shows outside of the largest city, but there are some smaller exhibitions which take place in some of the other cosmopolitan cities, such as Izmir, Bursa, and perhaps Ankara from time to time.
No, in terms of fashion, it’s all about Istanbul!
Istanbul Fashion Week aims to highlight local designers, as well as international brands, but this year in particular the home-grown talent was in the spotlight. Big named brands were also welcomed into the show for the first time one more, proving that fashion is on the lips of most young people in Turkey these days.
The event runs in tandem with the international fashion calendar, so it comes after the New York, London, Paris, and Milan shows, and allows designers and brands to expand their market, after the big named shows are finished. Turkish local designers are also able to showcase their brands and designs on an international platform, hopefully breaking into bigger market space the following year.
The show hosts around 33 different exhibitions and individual shows, and this year, as we mentioned, most of those were Turkish home-grown designers. Big named local designers include Asli Filinta, Bahar Korcan, Ipek Arnas, Mert Erkan, and Zeynep Tosun, to name just a few.
Istanbul Modest Fashion Week
In addition to the Mercedes Benz sponsored fashion week, Istanbul is also host to another big show, this time beginning in May. The Istanbul Modest Fashion Week showcases conservative fashion wear with a designer twist, and is sponsored by Modania, which is a big online retailer, which specialises in Muslim fashion pieces.
During the event, 70 different designers showed off their work, with the overall aim to bring modest, conservative clothing into the mainstream, and make it ultra-fashionable, alongside regular Western wear. Of course, Muslim women want to conform to the rules of dress within the religion, but they also want to look fashionable and trendy at the same time. This event aims to showcase designs which allow that to happen, and highlight the work of these talented designers on a worldwide stage.
With more and more fashion events springing up every single year across the country, not just in Istanbul, it’s no wonder that Turkey’s fashion scene is growing at a fast rate.
