What do Nicole Scherzinger, Arzu Kaprol, Keira Knightley, Harvey Nichols, Katy Perry and Deniz Berdan have in common?
They’re all involved in Turkish fashion. Nicole Scherzinger wears Cengiz Abazoğlu. Arzu Kaprol is an award-winning designer with a corner at Harrods. Keira Knightley wears Bora Aksu. Harvey Nichols has two stores in Turkey packed with British and Turkish fashion. Deniz and Begüm Berdan have designed for Katy Perry.
The UK-Turkey Fashion Talks (on Twitter: #UKTurkeyFashionTalks) brought together Turkish fashion designers to talk about British fashion and how Turkish fashion players can to use London and the UK to thrive.
Arzu Kaprol described how the UK’s welcoming fashion environment and acceptance of diverse cultures and designers made it a perfect location for new young designers to break through to the big time.
Gül Ağış talked about her London Fashion Week experience and how it fuelled her fashion career.
Mother-and-daughter designer duo Deniz and Begüm Berdan shared their experiences both in working with leading corporates like Starbucks and Disney and the experience of studying among leading young designers in London.
Hamdi Külahçıoğlu talked about Demsa, Harvey Nichols and their British and Turkish brands.
UK Trade and Investment Inward Investment Adviser Simla Çınar explained UKTI services and practical help for Turkish designers setting up businesses in the UK.
The event rounded off with a lively discussion amongst all the participants.
I was delighted the event was so exciting and generated such resonance on Twitter and in the fashion media. I was particularly interested to hear the views of experienced Turkish fashion designers on why London Fashion Week is the best first step for new young Turkish fashion designers because it’s more open to outsiders and more global than some competitors.
I look forward to the next fashion event at the British Consulate-General Istanbul. Watch this space.