In any country, the significance of nurturing young designers cannot be overstated. A nation's most valuable assets are its creative youth; designers, artists and innovators. We see this clearly in our daily lives, whether when we shop or interact with the products around us. Countries that actively support young designers, helping them launch their own brands or contribute to major retail companies - consistently show impressive progress across various industries.

Recently, the Koza Young Fashion Designers Competition underscored this crucial issue. Organized by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB) since 1992, the competition aims to support young talents aspiring to build a career in fashion. We had the opportunity to speak with Nejdet Ayaydın, Board Member of Ayaydın-Miroglio Group and President of the Koza Competition Committee, to discuss the competition's impact on emerging designers and its role in shaping the Turkish fashion industry.

Supporting young designers

This year marks the 32nd edition of the Koza Young Fashion Designers Competition. I asked Ayaydın, "As the committee and jury chair, what do you think is the secret to the competition's long-lasting success and its contribution to the Turkish fashion sector?"

Ayaydın responded: "The Koza competition has been organized by İHKİB since 1992, bringing together young designers who want to build a career in fashion with the industry. Over the past 32 years, Koza has created Türkiye's most influential fashion archive and, in this regard, has become a representative of the development and history of Türkiye’s modern fashion industry. Today, alongside Türkiye’s most renowned fashion designers, more than 240 past Koza finalists have launched their own brands. Designers like Bahar Korçan, Özgür Masur, Zeynep Tosun, Hakan Yıldırım, Özlem Kaya and Gül Ağış all entered the sector through Koza. The fact that the competition has been held continuously for 32 years is a testament to its immense contribution to the industry."

Ayaydın emphasized the competition's pivotal role in shaping the careers of emerging designers. When asked, "What criteria does the jury consider when evaluating the participants?" he explained: "Since its inception, more than 7,000 young designers have applied to the Koza Young Fashion Designers Competition. This year, once again, we saw tremendous interest. We are very pleased with the level of engagement. Out of nearly 300 applications, we selected 10 finalists. The jury evaluates contestants based on criteria such as creativity, material usage, wearability, presentation and technical drawing."

He also highlighted the support provided to finalists by industry mentors during their preparation. "Our finalists worked for months on their collections under the mentorship of Nihan Peker and Belma Özdemir. From the moment they were selected, the mentors guided them through every stage of the process, from collection creation to the final presentation. Particularly during the challenging sewing phase, mentors supported the finalists with every detail, from fabric selection to sewing techniques, ensuring the quality of the final product."

Sustainability in fashion

Sustainability in fashion is another key topic Ayaydın and I discussed. When asked, "How does the Koza competition address sustainability and ethical fashion?" Ayaydın responded:

"The fashion industry carries a significant responsibility for the future of our planet. With global temperatures rising and natural resources depleting, the industry must adopt eco-friendly production methods. Every player in the sector, including young designers, must embrace sustainability principles. In the future, the entire production process will revolve around sustainability and environmental considerations. Green and digital transformations - integrating sustainability and technological advancements into production - will be essential for the future of fashion. This year, we were thrilled to see that many of the young designers who applied to our competition prioritized sustainability in their designs."

Global perspective

As a member of IHKIB’s board of directors, Ayaydın also shared insights into the future of Turkish fashion. "The fashion industry plays a strategic role in our country’s economy through value-added production, its contribution to employment, and its exports," he said. "We have consistently ranked among the top three sectors for exports, and in 2023, we reached $19.3 billion in exports. The unit value of clothing exports from Türkiye is significantly higher than the average, with $19 per kilogram, compared to $1.57 for general exports. After the jewelry and defense industries, we are the third-largest exporter in terms of value-added exports. We are the sixth-largest supplier globally and the third-largest supplier to the European Union, accounting for approximately 3.5% of global ready-made clothing exports."

Ayaydın concluded by emphasizing that the Turkish fashion sector is not only highly competitive but also plays a crucial role in shaping the global fashion landscape. "The future is bright for Turkish fashion and the contributions of young designers like those in the Koza competition will continue to drive our industry forward."