Unfortunately, there aren't many people who receive a fashion education and go on to create their own brand or breathe life into a design brand in the fashion world. It is quite rare for individuals to successfully bring together creativity, industry needs and economic considerations. Berna Ulutaş is one of these rare individuals, still in her 30s, but she proves that designers can establish a solid brand and make this equation work.
Is there a textile brand that has caught your attention recently? For example, have you been seeing the name Lady Gina more often? Berna Ulutaş’s story is the story of creating a brand from scratch. She first studied economics at Bilkent University, then received an education in fashion at Lasalle International Academy. After working for over a decade with industry giants like Gizia and Beymen, she rolled up her sleeves to establish her own brand. She particularly sees her time as a fashion designer at Gizia as a school where she learned a lot, and she credits this period for enabling her to create a brand of this magnitude.
When I mentioned how newcomers who enter the fashion world with great enthusiasm and without knowing the inner dynamics of the industry often face significant challenges, and how many young brands struggle to even complete their first year, Ulutaş wholeheartedly agreed. "Based on my years of experience in the industry, I founded a brand with a high production capacity, offering collections comprising pieces that urban working women can comfortably wear from day to night. We have a strong online sales presence. Now, we have started franchising in different parts of Türkiye. Istanbul is our special focus. You can find us in Nişantaşı and Galataport. All of this became possible due to a good understanding of economics, industry experience and years of working as a designer in different companies. Without these, establishing a brand and keeping it alive as a designer is nearly impossible in today's conditions," she added.
As we chat with Ulutaş, we also take a look at the seasonal collection in their recently opened stores at Galataport. After expressing her confidence in their jacket-trouser suits, Ulutaş continued: "Apart from design, the textile world has taught me the business side of this industry. Having a background in economics allowed me to navigate this entire process more objectively and with a grounded perspective.
Besides, coming from an industrial family that has always been involved in commerce, I've always had the chance to view this sector in this way. After working on collection preparations and consultancy for various companies, I ventured into export with different partners. Our collections were showcased at trade shows, and currently, they are sold in over 20 countries. With the strength of our production capacity and high-volume production, the process eventually led me to establish a design textile brand."
Like everything else, a brand also starts with an idea. So, how long did Ulutaş take to achieve this? "One year. It's both a long and a short period. It's a highly competitive industry, of course. We enter the season with 200 models. Our stores are also of this size. Our fabrics are of very high quality, and due to the high volume of production, our prices are very affordable considering all these features. In our stores, you feel like you're getting service in an elegant boutique, but you also have all the facilities of a large store. We have thought about everything down to the finest detail, from the pieces we use in a presentation to make the customer feel good from the moment they enter the store. We designed each piece thinking about how it can be combined in different ways so that customers can shop comfortably. To make all this possible, having significant experience in the industry was necessary," Ulutaş said.
So, what inspires a designer? Ulutaş continued: "Art, reading. Not just the collections, but also the store concepts are influenced by these interests of mine. When you step into the content, you realize you are entering a different design world. We are striving to offer value for money, providing accessible quality."
"We prepare a minimum of 10 collections in one season, and each collection includes approximately 45 different models. First and foremost, I must say that we experience great excitement in this process. After a long R&D phase, each piece that comes out determines the fate of the others, you could say. As a team, we are particularly fond of clean patterns, subtle details and padding. Sometimes our inspiration comes from a historical era, sometimes from a philosophical character and sometimes from everyday life moments," she said.
"And most importantly, for us, it's about the integrity in design. As someone who philosophically believes that everything in life is interconnected, we believe that when different pieces come together in our collections, tone-on-tone and contrasting color palettes, texture sensitivity, and the right fabric complement each other. At the same time, the coherence between fabric and accessories is crucial. Our clear line is to blend classic and modern designs to create collection pieces that can be part of a woman's wardrobe for many years. The reason for this is our understanding that moving away from the fast consumer perception of the retail sector and making our brand sought-after, and enduring can only be achieved through lasting models."
So, how does Ulutaş believe Turkish women like to dress? She responded: "Our main goal when establishing the brand was to provide true accessible luxury for urban women. We believe that the modern Turkish woman has the right to access good quality products. Turkish women like to prioritize comfort along with elegance at every moment of the day. And I must say that Turkish women are aware of how important the posture of a woman who feels elegant and valuable in the world is."
Generally, those who receive design education and successfully grow their own design brand are those who can analyze fashion and economic realities correctly. So, what is Ulutaş aiming for with her experience in the industry on this scale? She said: "Our first goal is to become an indispensable brand in the wardrobe of the modern urban woman. For this, we attach great importance to expanding through physical stores and making online sales easily accessible.
Besides our Galataport stores and our store on Abdi Ipekçi Avenue, we have many new projects planned for 2023. With our trade show agreements, shopping mall partnerships, the Tersane Istanbul project opening in September, and our Zorlu pop-up store, we aim to grow the Lady Gina brand and proudly promote it as a Turkish women-led company in the global textile industry." She said this with a smile.
