Female designers rising in the Turkish fashion industry

With the debut of Istanbul Fashion Week (IFW), also known as "Mercedes Benz Fashion Week," the city's fashion scene clearly changed: The fashion industry in Istanbul is increasingly turning into a world managed by female designers. Each season, the majority of individual designers attending the IFW are female. These trend-setting women enthusiastically introduce new concepts and collections to fashion lovers. There are many boutiques selling top-line clothes and jewelry in the Galata, Nişantaşı, Cihangir, Tophane, and Bebek neighborhoods.

When Istanbul started to prove itself as a global fashion capital at the beginning of the 2000s, some female designers such as Arzu Kaprol, Zeynep Tosun, Dilek Hanif and Gamze Saraçoğlu stood out among the others with their stunning creations. These female designers are now considered as some of the most influential women in Istanbul's fashion scene.

Studying at Mimar Sinan University and the Paris American Academy, Arzu Kaprol has become a brand name reflecting the mystery of Istanbul and Ottoman culture. At first sight, her dresses feature a simple cut design, but in detail, they have a sublime female touch. She also creates sculptural texture designs with the use of lush fabrics. Kaprol has participated in many fashion weeks in Istanbul, Milan, Paris and Dusseldorf and designed dresses for celebrities like Meg Ryan, Gisele Bündchen and Sienna Miller. Currently, she continues to design attire in Istanbul. She has branches in Nişantaşı, Galata and Bağdat Avenue.

Female designers rising in the Turkish fashion industry