IFCO: Turkish fashion world sees Europe as a market with many opportunities and challenges

Istanbul - The Turkish fashion industry has been competing with major producing players like Bangladesh and China for years. Turkey has managed to defend its position, however, in a time when this is not an easy task. The country does not do this by compromising on prices, because quality comes before quantity in the Turkish fashion world, and that is a principle it stands strong by.

Turkey is strategically located, has a strong infrastructure, attractive prices, diversified production capacity and great design talent. The country acts as a link between Europe and Asia, making it a potential epicentre of fashion.

This insight was also shared at the sixth edition of Istanbul Fashion Connection (IFCO), to which FashionUnited was invited. The leading textile fair took place from 7 to 9 August in the Turkish capital. Turkey hopes to use this event to boost the volumes of Turkish exports and gain more and more ground in the global fashion industry.

Sixth IFCO edition attracts global visitors

In 2023, Turkey was hit by earthquakes and has been grappling with sky-high inflation for about two years. Inflation in 2023 reached 64.77 percent, according to figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute Tüik. Recently, inflation fell to 61.78 percent in July, marking the biggest drop since 2022. Inflation is expected to fall further this year, with the inflation rate forecasted to be around 40 percent by the end of the year.

IFCO aims to improve the economic situation and curb high inflation by encouraging connections between Turkish producers and global fashion retailers, a goal that was reportedly achieved at the most recent spring/summer edition of the fair.

As is usual, the first two days of the event attracted the most visitors, reaching its peak on the second day. The third day was mainly used by exhibitors to network with each other. FashionUnited has requested statistics on visitor numbers and is still awaiting a response from the organisation.

Turkish fashion industry goes for quality and does not compromise on prices

IFCO, which is once again taking place at the Expo Center, is expanding its exhibition floor to 30,000 square metres, spread over four halls. The exhibition floor provides a platform for 300 exhibitors from various segments, including women's, men's and children's fashion, sportswear, accessories and denim. Anyone who visited last year's spring/summer edition will notice that the number of exhibitors has fallen by about 100.

The wide range of products made it difficult to choose which exhibitor to visit first, with each stand displaying their own product and story. What they all have in common, however, is the high quality and relatively low prices.

There was a division of opinion on the exhibition floor regarding the latter point. Exhibitors said they were losing customers because prices are no longer as low as they were before the pandemic. On the one hand, the wars between Russia and Ukraine, and Gaza and Israel, are playing a role, while on the other, growing competition from China, Bangladesh and Egypt is affecting Turkish exports.

Denim manufacturer Vinci, for example, focuses on the European market, but as European brands and retailers are sensitive to sharp prices, the manufacturer is also trying to expand into other markets, such as Colombia and the US. "We always focus on quality and will not compromise on price," said Hasan Demir, international sales manager. "That's why we need to expand into new markets." The US is high on Vinci's list. "The US sources 50 percent of its products from Bangladesh and 50 percent from Italy and Turkey. Italy ranks second in terms of quality, while Turkey only exports 2 percent to the US."

Machinist, which is new to the Turkish fashion fair, also mentioned the pursuit of quality. Ceyhan Olgun, sales expert at the brand, said: "We don't want to be a production country, we want to provide brands with the best quality, build beautiful brands. The economic circumstances are a challenge, but quality remains above quantity. This situation also gives us the opportunity to take our designs to an even higher level." Machinist positions itself as a "high-end streetwear brand in the mid-range segment" and attended the fair to sell the brand, despite many visitors looking for suppliers. Machinist had already made over a hundred new contacts on the third day, however, while 'a few' orders had been written and a deal was being finalised with a large Turkish retail group.

At the stands of Intersivin and Joy in Joy, which were exhibiting alongside Nefise, it became evident that European brands and retailers in particular find prices too high. European fashion retailers are moving to Asia, where products are often cheaper. In addition, both suppliers are regularly asked to enter into partnerships with Egypt, a possibility the trio have refused on the basis of guaranteeing quality. "By maintaining high quality, you retain the right customers. We know there is a lot of competition, but we don't want to have that scared feeling. We believe that Turkish high-quality fashion will save us from this difficult situation," shared Sahinaz Zahariou, a representative of Intersivin.

High quality and design talent at The Core Istanbul

High quality was given a special platform on the exhibition floor at the 'The Core Istanbul' platform. This section centres on 22 new and established designers who are, rightly, in the spotlight. Names such as 2BE4A, A Piece Of Work, Alaii, Arzu Kaprol, Be Oz, Bianco E Nero, Denim Heads, Elara Esmer, Esin Barriş, Eynaco, Helin Aydoğan, Heva, Majura by Özlem Erkan, Meltem Özbek, Mert Erkan, Ryderact, Safarah World, Shyz Wear, Syga, Tuba Ergin, Urban Muse, Viola&Vesper took part in this platform.

The work of Arzu Kaprol attracted a lot of attention. The eponymous brand positions itself as a sustainable brand that uses leather and leather-like materials. The designer is vegetarian, but explained that she uses the remnants of animal hides because this material lasts a long time. "My items remain in very good condition forever and that is sustainable." Kaprol uses old techniques to manually 'stamp' prints onto her clothing. In addition, her bags are equipped with an NFT. Hovering a phone near a bag automatically redirects you to the website for more information about the product. The designer further mentioned she is getting a lot of interest from Russia: "They see sustainability as the new luxury."

A Piece Of Work, Esin Bariş and Shyz Wear were exhibited on a joint stand. This was not just a coincidence, the designers behind the brands are friends with each other and also have a joint showroom and atelier in Istanbul. FashionUnited was invited to take a look inside their red designer heart Couveuse Studio. Ezgi Karayel, Seydullah Yilmaz and Essin Bariş said they share the atelier for economic reasons. The three young designers show three different styles: A Piece Of Work has an edgy touch, while Shyz Wear goes for streetwear and uses bold prints. Essin Bariş, meanwhile, opts for couture. The exhibited collection is a reference to Bariş' father, who is a couturier himself, and the process that a garment goes through. The designer added that she recently also made personalised suits for basketball players, volleyball players and footballers, including Hakim Ziyech.

Europe: A market with many opportunities for Turkish fashion retailers

Turkish fashion brands have been doing well in the Arab world, North Africa and Russia for years, but Turkey also wants to gain ground outside these markets. The fair aims to connect Turkish fashion retailers with the US, South Africa and Europe. More specifically, IFCO exhibitors are looking at the German, French, Spanish and British markets when it comes to Europe. Such a mission was also clear in the opening speech by Mustafa Paşahan, vice president of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (IHKIB), who called on Europe to support Turkey.

Exhibitors told FashionUnited that the UK in particular is an interesting market. Firstly, because communication (in English) is simple. Secondly, because purchasing power is higher than in the rest of Europe, according to the stands of Intersivin and Setre. The brands Parkhande, Riversmell and Machinist also reaffirmed this sentiment.

Turkish fashion retailers are further targeting France, Spain and Italy. Turkish fashion comes into its own here and these countries are willing to choose quality over quantity, according to It’s Basic and Gizia. It’s Basic focuses on fast fashion with a new collection every week, and already includes Dutch retailers such as Van Tilburg and Nikki as customers. Gizia, a ready-to-wear brand with a couture-like touch, on the other hand, focuses on the complete experience by combining its stores with restaurants.

The latter is not only about professionalising the customer experience, but also about diversifying opportunities. "It's a challenging time. Wholesale is currently struggling more than retail, because we are 'expensive'. To manoeuvre in economically difficult situations, you need to look beyond your core business," explained Batuhan Kutlu, deputy chairman of the board of directors. In response, Gizia opened restaurants next to some of its stores, a concept the brand is looking to further expand. In addition, Gizia is also on the cusp of opening of a new factory in Istanbul is planned and launching stores in England, France, Italy and Dubai over the next 5 to 10 years.

Although the demand for European fashion retailers is growing, they were still scarce at the Turkish fashion fair. Exhibitors told FashionUnited that there are mainly interested parties from Russia, the Arab countries and the Gulf states.

Turkey, the land of high-quality clothing production

It is safe to say that the Turkish fashion industry will not bury the hatchet in the coming years. In fact, Turkey seems to be gaining more and more ground in Russia, the Gulf states and Africa. Although the country is struggling to win over European brands and retailers due to rising prices and is facing a decline in exports of between 10 and 13 percent, it is determined to strengthen this market, said Paşahan, in an interview with FashionUnited.

"There are economic difficulties worldwide, not just in Turkey. After the corona crisis, we were hit by two severe earthquakes. I know our prices have risen and that they are on the high side for European retailers, but Turkey does not compromise on prices. We only go for the best quality and that will ultimately lead to the best partnerships." The IHKIB vice-president gave a clear message: "Europe, work with us and recognise that quality comes before quantity."

Paşahan sees Turkey as a powerful country, noting that it exports 30 billion dollars worth of ready-to-wear. "Especially in these circumstances, Turkey comes together and we work together to make ourselves stronger. 70 percent of our ready-to-wear exports go to Europe. The European IFCO visitor numbers are between 16 and 20 percent. We aim to increase this number to 50 percent."

The IHKIB vice-president once again emphasises that Turkey is not a mass production country, but focuses on maintaining quality standards. The country will need to remain flexible in the coming period and make use of its cultural heritage, its geographical location and its design talents, but also new technologies and innovations to keep up with competition from Asia.

This article may be supplemented later with additional information on visitor numbers. FashionUnited is still awaiting the statistics.

FashionUnited travelled to Istanbul at the invitation of IFCO to attend the sixth edition.