Inspired by Anatolia’s centuries-old silk weaving tradition, İpekli Couture, led by Gül Akay Köse and Kübra Türkyılmaz, brings silk back to the forefront of fashion. Prioritizing sustainable production and local values, the brand embarked on a journey to incorporate the elegance of silk into everyone’s life. We spoke with the founders, Gül Akay Köse and Kübra Türkyılmaz, about İpekli Couture.
Hello, Ms. Gül. Let’s start with you. You continue to pursue your main profession as a lawyer and mediator. How did the idea of founding the İpekli.co brand emerge while continuing your career?
The idea to establish İpekli Couture was born from our deep fascination with the elegance and healing properties of silk. Despite our already busy schedules, we couldn’t resist the desire to share the unique values silk offers with a broader audience.
Silk production in Anatolia has a long-standing history, with silk weaving existing in these lands for centuries. Throughout history, silk has symbolized nobility and elegance, especially favored by women. It has always been regarded as a valuable and special fabric, not just as a material for clothing but as a lifestyle. Therefore, through İpekli.co, we wanted to incorporate the rare qualities of silk into everyone’s lives. With İpekli Couture, our goal is to offer people both elegance and comfort through original silk designs, particularly silk shirts.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in the process of establishing İpekli.co?
One of the biggest challenges we encountered while founding our brand was the fact that, despite Turkey’s rich and ancient history with silk, this value is not widely recognized today. Even though Anatolia has a deep-rooted history in silk production, modern consumption habits and fast fashion trends have unfortunately hindered silk from receiving the attention it deserves. As a brand that aims to revive the value of silk through a sustainable production process that respects nature and traditions, we strive to highlight silk’s nobility, healing properties, and quality.
What sets İpekli.co apart from other brands?
The biggest difference of İpekli Couture from other brands is that it specifically targets women. Our aim is to offer unique and stylish options, bringing the elegance and nobility of silk into women’s daily lives.
Another significant difference is that all production processes, from fabric to sewing, are carried out locally in Turkey. This allows us to maintain quality control and support local producers. This local production approach reflects our brand’s commitment to both quality and sustainability.
What types of silk do you use in İpekli.co’s products, and what do you pay attention to in this selection?
In our designs, we choose different types of silk weaves based on the characteristics and intended use of each product. The natural diversity of silk allows us to give each product a unique character. Therefore, while we use lighter and more delicate silks for some products, we prefer sturdier and more robust weaves for others.
Additionally, we source silk fabrics from local producers according to demand and needs, prioritizing both quality and sustainability. During the selection process, we pay attention to many factors such as the product’s intended use, the feel of its texture, and aesthetic harmony, ensuring we select the most suitable silk weave.
Hello, Ms. Kübra. You were born and raised in Germany, where you completed your education in law before deciding to move to Turkey. You’ve also been working in the media sector in Turkey for the past three years. How did you make the decision to move from Germany to Turkey to start your career?
Hello,
Deciding to settle in Turkey was a major turning point for me. As a Turkish person born and raised in Germany, the ancient traditions, rich culture, and career opportunities that my homeland offers played a crucial role in my decision. The media sector in Turkey, with its dynamism and rapid changes, provided me with a new and exciting career field. Additionally, as someone who closely follows fashion, I was always interested in brands that promote sustainable production. The rich cultural heritage of Turkey, especially in silk production, was the biggest motivation for us in establishing İpekli Couture.
Did cultural differences have an impact when founding İpekli.co?
In Germany, I observed that sustainable fabrics like silk are highly valued; this was a significant source of inspiration for me. In Turkey, although silk has an ancient history, unfortunately, this value is not sufficiently appreciated today. Turkey is one of the oldest centers of silk production, and we believe this rich heritage needs to be brought to the forefront today. With our brand, we aim to revive the cultural and historical significance of silk and increase its value in Turkey.
How do you manage to find time for the fashion business between your duties as a news anchor and your travel show?
Everything related to silk is truly a passion for me, and creating gives us great joy. Designing each piece for our brand and sharing these beauties with people has become an important part of our lives.
Do you plan to promote İpekli.co’s products in the global market?
We have some projects and partnerships lined up for promoting our brand in the global market. There’s a strong interest from Germany, especially based on the offers we’ve received. Therefore, we are working to increase our recognition internationally and to showcase the quality of Turkish silk to a broader audience globally.
How did you divide the work when establishing the brand together?
When establishing the brand, we made joint decisions to organize our work based on the intensity of our schedules. We share responsibilities according to each of our areas of expertise, which allows us to manage the processes more efficiently.
What motivated you the most during the founding of İpekli.co?
What motivated us the most was that, despite silk’s ancient production tradition in our land, it wasn’t receiving the appreciation it deserved. We wanted to bring this valuable heritage back into the spotlight and ensure that silk gains the attention it deserves.
How does İpekli.co aim to contribute to women’s entrepreneurship?
Our goal in contributing to women’s entrepreneurship is to collaborate with female producers and increase opportunities for sales and employment aimed at women. Supporting women to take a more active role in this sector and offering them opportunities is one of our primary objectives.
What is your dream for İpekli.co in the future?
Our dream is to bring Turkish silk and Turkish designs into the future by combining them with a sustainable fashion philosophy that harmonizes tradition. In this way, we aim to both preserve our cultural heritage and present our productions with a sustainable fashion approach to silk lovers.
Web: ipekli.co
Instagram: ipekli.co
Be First to Comment