Each fashion brand and fashion designer’s journey is unique and distinct. Every person I talk to has come through such different paths to reach where they are today.

The story of Ayşe Burcu Kaya, born in 1979 and now the owner of a well-known fashion brand, is no exception. We often think there are always supportive factors in the birth story of a brand, but in reality, there are always pros and cons. Putting in the effort, working hard and perhaps being a bit stubborn makes it possible to turn those cons into positives. Kaya, who founded her own fashion brand bearing her name in 2015 and now interacts with customers from all over the world visiting her showroom, shares a similar story.

We meet Kaya at Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus. She was wearing a design from her own collection. She excitedly talked about her latest collection. Then, slowly, she started to narrate the entire branding process. With a calm and confident tone, Kaya said: "After the 'Di Forever' and 'Grace' collections, I created a collection called 'Memories' for this fall/winter season. Inspired by two style icons, these two collections portrayed a woman who is closer to our time in the new season, embodying a city-dwelling, modern, powerful and self-assured woman that younger age groups could also prefer. While styling the photo shoot for this collection, our mood board paid homage to Jane Birkin, who passed away during the shoot."

"This collection builds a bridge between the past and the present, touching upon the theme of sustainability. We conceptualized the theme of sustainability using silk chiffon needle lace handkerchiefs on the collars of jackets as a language of expression. We wanted to reintegrate these needle lace handkerchiefs into the present, which are on the verge of disappearing as craftsmanship. Silk chiffon and needle lace collar handkerchiefs in different colors, collected from auctions and antique shops, connected the past and the present on tweed jackets and transferred their old stories to new owners," she added.

Not even a decade old, Ayşe Burcu Kaya’s brand, especially when it comes to tweed, is one of the first brands that come to mind in Türkiye. I was genuinely curious about how this brand came into existence. Kaya slowly begins to tell the story of establishing this brand, "I graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication, Radio Television Cinema Department. I returned to my professional life with my own brand after a break due to becoming a mother. I focused on my brand and business for the last eight years. Influenced by iconic characters, especially in the last three years, I believe that we reflected the spirit of the collections in the best way possible through promotional films. Cinematography and the use of space are the most beautiful ways to tell a story. Three years ago, 'Di Forever,' last year 'Grace,' and this year 'Memories' short fashion films, I believe, have perfectly reflected the spirit of the collection."

We start talking about the design brands, retail companies and boutiques that are being established one after the other lately. While discussing this topic, Kaya explains how becoming a mother fueled her to re-enter the business world. Despite her family generally saying she "didn’t need to work," she made considerable effort to stand on her own feet proudly: "Actually, on my father’s side, there are people who work in textiles, factory owners. However, they were not with me during the process of establishing my own design brand. From the very beginning, I planned my brand step by step and managed to bring it to where it is today by reinvesting in my brand as I earned it."

"My professional life technically ended with the birth of my daughter. I always wanted to continue my career, but I was such a proud young woman that I didn’t want anyone to do something for me, to establish something for me. One day, when my daughter was around 4-5 years old, I remember sitting on the beach with a friend and saying, ‘At least I want to be a working, producing woman in the eyes of my own child.’ No one supported my work. I had to prove to everyone that I was determined and hardworking. I started making hair accessories and hats. I searched for manufacturers on Google and started my business through trial and error. The first reactions from my surroundings were things like, ‘Do you really need this? What’s the point?’ I didn’t belittle this small step I took; I ignored the reactions and step by step, I started expanding my product range and strengthening my brand," she explained.

After this initial and challenging step, Kaya started selling her products at bazaars and promoting them on social media. The process that began with hair accessories continues with beach towels, kimonos and clutches. She continues her journey with new products and collections after every successful season. Step by step, she shapes her brand into what it is today. Kaya describes that period as "I’m not schooled in fashion. I learned each stage of production on my own. I found the best of each fabric, pattern maker and accessory maker one by one. For the last six years, the brand has continued in a way that many people know. The first 2.5 years were like school for me. As I earned step by step, I moved the brand to the next level. People around me who couldn’t understand what I was trying to do started their own brands one by one with the support of their families in the last five years."

Kaya also believes in collections having a story and advocates for these stories to be made into films. Kaya says: "While serious projects are being done abroad in this field, unfortunately, we see that only a few brands in our country focus on fashion films. It’s pleasing to see this number increasing every day. Both the screening of my film in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Beyoğlu Culture Road Project and at the 8th Istanbul Fashion Film Festival are proud moments for my communication background as well as my designer identity."

She also believes that brands in this era should collaborate with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and engage in social responsibility projects. "We continued our social responsibility project, which started with the 'Grace' collection, with the 'Memories' collection. We wanted to support a social issue with our brand identity. With every sale from both 'Grace' and 'Memories' collections, we supported the ‘I Have a Daughter in Anatolia’ project," she said.