As fashion buyers and brands descended on Istanbul earlier this month for the seventh edition of the trade fair Istanbul Fashion Connection (IFCO), global geopolitical tensions and their impact on trade was top of mind for many attendees.
Supply chain challenges have been mounting for years, with a 5x increase in the number of global trade barriers introduced since 2015, and around 3,000 restrictions imposed in 2023, according to the BoF and McKinsey & Company’s The State of Fashion 2025 report.
Fashion executives are increasingly prioritising collaborations with suppliers closer to home, and for those with businesses operating out of Europe, Türkiye is proving a critical trade hub.
Türkiye’s share of global textile production has doubled over the past two decades. In 2023, its share of textile and apparel exports to Europe reached 6 percent, surpassing Vietnam. More than 25 percent of European brands listed Türkiye as a crucial sourcing location, according to supply chain compliance company Qima.
Since its inception in 2022, IFCO has sought to leverage Türkiye’s strategic positioning as a transcontinental country for Europe and Central Asia, and its prevalence as a global trade hub. The country’s textile and apparel sector amounted to $27.4 billion in export value by the end of last year, according to Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (IHKIB).
“Fashion and ready-to-wear is an important part of our future, with this fair taking place alongside global exhibitions,” shared Mustafa Paşahan, IHKIB’s vice president, who is also IFCO’s president, in his introduction at the event’s opening ceremony.
This year, as companies look to shake up their global sourcing strategies in fashion, the event — organised by Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporter Associations (IHKIB) — attracted 33,788 visitors from more than 151 countries. 513 companies exhibited across categories from women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, eveningwear, childrenswear, shoes, accessories, underwear and hosiery, and those specialising in materials like leather and denim.
A key focus for this edition of the fair was accessibility to a wide range of expertise across the value chain: from design and production, to price-quality balance and service speed. IFCO is intended to answer the needs of clothing buyers in a single platform: those looking for a branded exporter; those looking for an exporter to have their brand produced; or those seeking new designs from international talent.
A host of seminars and special events helped guide and segment the flow of information for attendees, with highlights including the trend showcase, fashion shows and networking opportunities. A section titled The Core Istanbul also shone a spotlight on more than 25 Turkish fashion designers and their contribution to the global fashion scene, who IFCO invited to exhibit free of charge.
To learn more about Turkey’s role in the global fashion industry as a production and creative design hub, BoF sat down with designers and brand representatives on display at the fair, to learn more about the country’s strategic positioning and how the Turkish fashion value chain is setting itself up for success.
Reducing Lead Times
Many brands are looking to tap into Türkiye’s strategic position geographically, with its adjacency to European and Asian markets. Brands such as Inditex, H&M, Boohoo and Asos have large sourcing footprints in Türkiye, while PVH’s “Southeast Hub” there is where the parent company for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein develops the brands in emerging markets such as Italy, Türkiye, Greece, Middle East, Africa and the CIS region.
Türkiye enables quick production timelines, with its proximity to Europe and Asian markets meaning swift turnaround times for brands producing and exporting into the region.
One exhibitor, whose design studio is based in Istanbul, shared that their production and sampling times are as little as one to two weeks. Their manufacturers have a 50,000 unit capacity, so if they only require 10 to 15,000 SKUs, this can be turned around and shipped to Europe within three weeks.
Ease of shipping was cited as a key factor in the company’s export strategy, with 35 percent of their production going to wholesale exports. The exhibitor added that a key advantage of their location is the lack of tariffs imposed on goods, sharing that the company’s key markets in Europe are Spain and France.
Meltem Aybar, a luxury occasionwear brand founded by the designer of the same name, also takes advantage of this proximity. While fabrics are sourced from abroad in Italy, all pieces are produced in Türkiye, occasionally commissioning their own fabric from the region. With their Izmir-based atelier in the same region as their production, they can create the whole collection in two weeks, Aybar shares.
According to the State of Fashion 2025, the reduced order-to-fulfilment times can range from 150 to 170 days in Asia-Pacific to under 50 days in Türkiye, with an average of seven days in transit.
Closer Ties to the Supply Chain
Türkiye’s nearshoring opportunities also enable brands the chance to keep emissions low and relationships with suppliers strong and more transparent — a critical consideration for 2025 as regulations like the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles will likely usher in financial penalties for non-compliance.
Buyers are also increasingly looking to update their sourcing in line with upcoming sustainability regulations and evolving consumer demand for more sustainable products.
Among the brands on display at IFCO with localised production was Ryder Act Studio, a yoga and loungewear brand founded nine years ago by Kübra Demir, which produces all their goods in Türkiye with pieces largely constructed in natural materials such as cotton and linen.
Denim and streetwear brand Syga, founded 12 years ago by two friends, also manufactures pieces — mostly denim designs — for other fashion labels such as Berlin-based Ottolingher and London-based Casablanca, and they have seen “an increase in interest from other brands wishing to manufacture in the region,” a brand representative shared.
Indeed, Türkiye is one of the largest exporters of denim, and it is the seventh largest grower of cotton globally, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), which allows local companies to build strong supply chain integration from tier five (raw materials) through to tier one (garment production).
Tapping Into Turkey’s Technical Skillsets
While Türkiye is better known for mass-manufacturing, the country offers technical and skilled craftsmanship within the high-end market, with a rich history in artisanal production and embroidery. Indeed, global luxury brands Dicek Kayek and Manu Atelier both have their production in the region.
In 2024, Türkiye’s apparel and textile sector recorded diverse performances across various product groups, and the highest export value occurred in womenswear, totalling US $5.1 billion, according to IHKIB.
At IFCO, Demir of Ryder Act Studio shared how the brand works with women in villages across the country who are upskilled in practices such as stitching and embroidery. Eponymous occasionwear brand Meltem Aybar, which sells wholesale and retail from the region, also shared how the brand’s products are handmade, lending to a higher price point.
Other emerging Turkish designers are leveraging other distinct skills like 3D printing, such as Miray Tok Çakir, founder and creative director of Mirimalist, a womenswear brand founded in the Turkish capital nine years ago.
Tok Çakir shared that she has found popularity in New York and Texas, and landed a wholesale partnership with multibrand retailer Wolf & Badger — which specialties in smaller, emerging brands — after just one year in business, in their brick and mortar space in London, as well as online. She will shortly be taking her collection to Who’s Next Paris and Capsule New York.
IFCO’s vice president Paşahan shared during a press conference at the fair that he intends to invest further in emerging talent, and to expand The Core Istanbul section of the fair to support more brands from the region. “We have younger brands and more experienced ones [showcasing at IFCO] – all of them are important,” he said.
This is a sponsored feature paid for by Istanbul Fashion Connection as part of a BoF partnership.
