Recently I was asked to contribute to the first and only men’s magazine in Egypt,
Uomo Moda, which in Italian ‘Man’s Fashion’. The editors requested that I write an article on a Turkish company that I had visited several times in Istanbul. As an introduction, I laid out the following brief history of menswear in Turkey.
“Turkey boasts a long and rich history of textile production and menswear that dates back many centuries. The men’s fashion industry in Turkey climbed to new heights during the Ottoman period when swank administrators and wealthy members of society shrouded themselves in opulence, sporting fine silks, fur linings, and exquisite embroideries.
Turkey’s sartorial heritage has not gone unnoticed around the world but rather has resounded on the shores of many nations. Recently, the low-crotch Turkish pants called
salvars have appeared on the catwalks of some of the most prestigious fashion weeks in Europe. Even Issey Miyake drew inspiration from the striped Ottoman-styled pants and national flower for the 2010 Spring/Summer collection entitled “Very, Very Mosaic.”
Previously the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul is heir to all the luxuriant traditions of sumptuous menswear and refined textile production. Straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, Istanbul is also a crossroads where Eastern and Western styles converge and mingle on a daily basis.
The modern apparel industry, however, was not born until the industrial boom of the 60’s and 70’s, when countless little shops mushroomed throughout the city. Strong work ethics, inexpensive labor, keen business sense, and a local cotton industry have all contributed to the explosive growth of a vibrant manufacturing industry.
But due to both internal and external factors, Istanbul could not afford to settle with mere textile production. Technical advances within the country and intensifying competition from abroad have thrust the Turkish apparel industry to new heights, giving birth to higher quality fabrics and a thriving ready-to-wear industry.
Within the last decade, Turkish labels have been springing up everywhere. Some claim that close to one-third of all manufacturers in Istanbul have ventured into value-added brand names, which can be seen in showrooms all throughout the city’s three fashion districts: Merter, Laleli, and Osmanbey.”
Photo top right Copyright Uomo Moda.
Photo middle left, Francesco at breakfast, Istanbul, Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.
Photo bottom right, vendors in Istanbul, Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.
Bulgaria’s Turkic vanquishers, the Ottomans, had been driven out of their own homeland by the Mongolian Tartars. En route to refuge in Asia Minor, the Turks were converted to Islam. Once they had swept Byzantium into their possession in 1453, adopting Constantinople as their capital, they gained a foothold in the rest of the Balkans. 
