null

ITHIB Istanbul International Fabric Design Contest

Turkish fabrics increase their value five-fold through design

Sebiha Alganer was found worthy of first place at the Istanbul International Design Contest, the 12th of which was held last year by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (ITHIB) for the purpose of providing added value to exports through custom designs. The event broke record with a total of domestic and foreign 250 applications, with money awards of a total of 17,500 euros, and the first place winner was given the opportunity to receive design training abroad.   

ITHIB Board Chairman İsmail Gülle said, “We can increase the value of an ordinary fabric worth 5 dollars to 26 dollars with a design difference. Our textile exports kg price was 3 dollars ten years ago, and it has risen to 5 dollars currently. We have the necessary strength, desire and dynamism to achieve the 20 billion dollar target for 2023 in the sector”. 

 

The 12th ITHIB Istanbul International Fabric Design Contest held by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (ITHIB), which is the largest textile organization, has set a milestone in the Turkish economy. The contest, held for the purpose of developing creativity in textile and to increase the added value, broke a record this year with a total of 250 applications, 65 of whom are from abroad. The first place winner was Sebiha Alganer, a student of the Textile and Fashion Design department of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. She was found worthy of the prize with the design she created with experimental hypnosis through the surface play created by metallic colored threads on transparent fabric; Sebiha Alganer won a prize of 10,000 euros, as well an opportunity to undergo design training abroad. 
Yelda Şebnem Eker, who transposed the visual transformation of the sounds from nature that inspired her with the Cymatics theme, won second place in the contest, while Alessa Firrincieli, who reflected the inspiration she received from nature and insightfulness with the Nature and Mind theme, won third place. The second place winner, Eker, won 5,000 euros, while the third place winner, Firrincieli, won 2,500 euros in monetary awards. The three award winners will also get to visit the Premiere Vision Paris Exhibition, six months of foreign language training and get an internship for gaining industrial experience. 

 

 

The evening was hosted by ITHIB Board Chairman, İsmail Gülle, with the attendance of TIM President, Mehmet Büyükekşi, and Istanbul Industry Board’s Chairman, Erdal Bahçıvan, among many other personalities from the worlds of textiles, business, fashion and art. The dresses, which were designed by the fashion specialist Hakan Akkaya using fabrics designs of contestants manufactured in his workshop and were displayed at the fashion show managed by him.
The designs of the contestants were evaluated by the jury where important names of the ready-to-wear sector such as Orka Holding CEO, Süleyman Orakçıoğlu, Ayaydın-Miroglio Group CEO, Yalçın Ayaydın and Sarar Women’s Group President, Gözde Sarar, were in attendance.. 
The value of a fabric increased by five-fold with the difference in design 
ITHIB Board Chairman, İsmail Gülle, made a speech during the evening where he stated that they are very powerful as the export family and that they realized the indispensable conditions for Turkey under every condition and situation. Indicating that they already achieved 10 billion dollars, which is half of the 2023 export target for textiles, Gülle mentioned that he is proud as they are the second largest supplier to the EU and seventh largest in the world. 
ITHIB Chairman Gülle pointed out the fact that an ordinary fabric the price of which is 5 dollars can be increased to up to 26 dollars with only a difference in design and went on to say, “When we add design on top of our domestic and national production, the export value increases. Our export kg price, which had been 3 dollars 10 years ago, has now risen to 5 dollars. Turkey’s kg price is 1.7 dollars. We must now carry out exports by increasing our unit price to 15 dollars. Therefore, as ITHIB, we have been supporting design and designers without any breaks for the past decade, and we are holding this contest in order to add value to exports. We have brought in hundreds of young students to the sector until today. We have the stamina, desire and dynamism to achieve the 20 billion dollars 2023 target in textiles. We have to work harder and produce more to carry Turkey to a better level. In the near future, Turkish designers will work shoulder to shoulder with their foreign colleagues for the industry and exports of Turkey. They shall reflect Turkey’s colors, Turkey’s vision and naturally, Turkey’s power to their designs. We believe that these youths, who give life to fabrics with their dreams, will also be the designers of tomorrow’s powerful Turkey.”

 

 

TIM Chairman, Mehmet Büyükekşi, said, “The way to increase added value in Turkey’s exports is through four ways: design, innovation, brand and R&D. Design is the important one. It is possible for Turkey to bring out world brands only through unique designs. For this purpose, design contests are held today in 21 sectors. Our exporters are not even scared of the wars in the world in order to increase their sales. We still have 1 billion dollars of exports to Syria where the war is ongoing today”. 
We wish you a fruitful time. / PR Press & Public Relations
For information: Tamer Coşkun 0212 2224781 / 0532 4124042
%d bloggers like this: