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MESİAD MAGAZINE

HÜSEYİN TUĞRUL

Hüseyin Tuğrul targets cool women and men in his designs...

Hüseyin Tuğrul as a brand bears its owner's name and offers custom design services. Besides, Mr. Tuğrul prepares each season's collection for men, women and children with considering the customer portfolio of firms in textile centers of Istanbul like Merter,Osmanbey and Laleli. He

answered our questions about his perspective of design and his work.

- Please tell us about yourself

Hello, I am Hüseyin Tuğrul. My interest in fashion started when I was in high school. I was drawing amateurish cloth figures with charcoal. Colorful drawing pencils and crayons were also attracting my attention. Besides, watching the chic designed showcases of the shops and boutiques was a cheerful activity for me. As for my friends, I was combining their clothes for their daily and private lives. Thus, I was making them more special and stylish. Through a friend, I was educated at and graduated from the design and fashion department of La Salle Int'l Academy Design School of Canada. I took lessons from the most respected teachers of the school. I also learned the topics like 'theme' and 'story' besides drawing, anatomical postures, collage, fabric recognition and collection preparation. While studying, I also worked in both marketing and designing departments in textile centers like Merter, Laleli and Osmanbey to familiarise myself with the market. Thus, I have seen all the stages of collection and manufacturing by working at these places. I reinforced my knowledge of various stages. I learned the process of manifacture.I learned recognizing the fabric, following up accessories, following the trend and thus capturing the appropriate model, mold works and most importantly, I learned customer presentations.

-How did you start in this profession? According to you, which path a designer must follow to be successful?

Before starting my design education, I had worked for a short time as a boutique manager. But, I could not continue because of market conditions. While I was studying, I also prepared seasonal collections for men, women and children groups. Thus, I both studied and familiarised with the market closely at the same time. According to me, designers certainly need to engage in R & D activities to become successful. Which means that work does not end with the formation of the model or collection, market research should be done. As forming the most conventional collection or model for the firm, fabrics, accessories and costs should be considered and collections should be prepared with the most accurate materials and accessories. A designer must have the knowledge of sewing and cost accounts besides the knowledge of fabrics and accessories. If models and collections are formed in this way, success will come to you. The designer should be patient during the studies because the point where s\he wants to arrive is not that easy. The designer should be patient against ever-changing fashion trends and s\he must have a work schedule while doing R & D. Documents relevant to our business and network studies should be carried out flawlessly because success is not easily caught.

-Can you tell us about your own designs and your designing line?

I target style-oriented designs and consider modern, confident cool men and women in my designs. While doing this, I imagine and bring the parts that I can combine in both business and private life together. Because, I believe that design should be identified with the person. I believe a person's line, life style and functional position is relevant to his\her costume.

-Do you only design for your own brand or do you also support other brands in terms of designing ?

I offer custom design services with using my own brand name. Besides this I'm preparing seasonal

collections for men, women and children groups with taking into account our customer portfolio of textile centers like Merter, Osmanbey and Laleli. During the collection's preparation process, I create new trend models in terms of commerce and image through closely familiarising myself with both firms and their customers. During this preparation, I continue to the programme with taking into consideration the costs, molds, models and accessories. After the collection I prepare catalogs, visuals and advertising studies if the company wants. I help them to be recognized through social media thus I'm participating in corporate activities.

-Do you have short-and long-term goals?

Fashion and design changes so much that any planning can not be applied in full. In the short run, we are continuing to work for firms' ongoing season collections for men, women and children. In the long term, I am preparing plans for fairs and fashion centers about network studies as an individual participant. I'm trying to not to miss fashion week events in Europe and Istanbul and the fabric and accessory trade fairs. Also, my other interests are the civilizations and tribes that lived in Anatolia and the Ottoman Empire. I want to create collections associated with lifestyles in these areas and present them. So, I'm sightseeing and doing researches both in Istanbul and in Anatolian capitals and settlements. I'm preparing a very large-scale fashion show on this theme.

-What is Turkey's position in the fashion sector ?

Turkey is a land of culture that has hosted various civilizations in Anatolia. In this sense, Istanbul is the cultural capital in particular. Formerly considered as a subcontracting country, Turkey is now turning into a fashion capital with the support of the state and very important associations and institutions. Designer's individual and corporate collections can turn into fashion shows with the support of MESİAD, LASIAD, local municipalities and sponsors. From now on, Turkey comes between the fashion capitals like New York, London, Milan and Paris with hosting important organizations, fashion fairs, world renowned important guests and participants. Our success in Merter Fashion Show which was held last month under the control of MESİAD, made headlines for days. We are extremely happy for this case as designers.