The 11th Final of the ATHİB Woven Fabric Design Competition, which reveals the value of woven fabric and enables designer candidates and designers to create a free and creative spirit, took place.
ATHİB Woven Fabric Design Competition Executive Board of Chairman & ATHİB Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Zeki Kıvanç shared his excitement about the 11th Woven Fabric Design Competition, “The textile and apparel industry has 1.5 trillion dollars share in the world economy. This share is expected to reach at around 2.5 trillion dollars by the end of 2025. Our proud Turkey has become an important brand and production center for the textile and ready-made clothing industries. With its exports exceeding 30 billion dollars, its employment power closer to 1.5 million and with our integrated production structure which reveals trade surplus, our country is a locomotive industry. In the foreseeable future, we will be talking about 60 billion dollars for this sector. As the city of Adana, we are striving to increase our exports of approximately 2.5 billion dollars in 2021 to 3 billion dollars in 2022. With our production and export-oriented economy model, Turkey will become one of the production centers not only for Europe but also for the whole world in the coming period.”
''We Will Work Harder, We Will Produce More''
Fatih Doğan, ATHİB Chairman of the Board of Directors, said in a statement, “As ATHİB, we reached an export level of 1.2 billion dollars in 2021, in our journey we set out as Çukurova Cotton Exporters' Association in 1939. In 2021, thanks to our valued members, we achieved an export of 2.3 billion dollars. We will work harder, we will produce more. We will share the excitement of our competition altogether, which we organized in order to ensuring about a brighter career path for the young generations that will help us continue this success. We believe that the industry, competent manpower and technology partnership are indispensable. We support our young people who put forward designs that will increase the added value of our exports and we believe that we will grow together with them.”
TİM President Mustafa Gültepe, “Production and export is the locomotive of the Turkish economy. For the development of our country and the welfare of our nation, we are in a position of producing more, adding value to what we produce and exporting more. We have gained a great momentum in exports in the last two years. We completed 2021 with a growth of over 30% with 225 billion dollars. In November 2022, within the account of all past months of November, the highest figures have been reached; in just a month it was possible to reach 21.9 billion dollars of exports. An export family and Turkey that can realize in excess of 252 billion dollars of exports in just 12 months’’ said and continued his wording as follows, “We achieve different works both in terms of design and innovation. What we already know that if we support our young brains through their journey to industry with their ideas, mindset and designs, we will then achieve much greater success together in the coming periods.”
''We Will Reach Our Targeted Export Figures''
T.C. Trade Minister Dr. Mehmet Muş said the following, "Turkey; is one of the world's leading countries in the textile and raw materials sector. Also, its large production capacity is growing every year. Our exports in this area, while increasing %40 percent in 2021 compared to the year past, realized as 10 billion dollars and our country also maintains its position in the world league as the 7th. While our textile and raw materials sector increases its share in foreign markets day by day, with its end-products, makes important contributions to our economy as well. Our purpose is to raise our country to the export levels which we targeted in economic terms in the industry.’’
After the opening speeches, with the Export Champions Award Ceremony, with the top 10 companies achieving the most of exports through AKİB in the city of Adana in 2021, and with the top 10 companies achieving the most of exports through ATHİB in 2021 were revealed. Plaques were presented to the announced companies. SASA DIŞ TİC. A.Ş. ranked as the leading company that exports the most in 2021 via AKİB Adana city and ATHİB.
Contest Adding Value to the Textile and Fashion Industry
The competition podium where designs were created with a great effort that will give direction to the future witnessed a fabric fashion show. Fabrics whose story dates back to the weaving workshops have met with the imagination of designers. Woven fabric designs that carry traces of different themes that are not interrelated to one another that belonging to 10 finalists were taken into evaluation of the jury.
The Coordination and Consultation of the Competition appointed to the Dr. Faculty Member Nuray Bıyıklı, and Creative Director Tasks Appointed to the Fashion Designer Özlem Kaya and also Art Directory and Choreography tasks appointed to Yasin Soy.
Dr. Faculty Member Nuray Bıyıklı; expressed the excitement of the competition, “ATHİB Woven Fabric Design Competition is a trainee competition with very high achievements. For 11 years, it has been diligently planned and carried out with the aim of contributing to the occupational development of textile and fashion design students from every university in our country. Each year, 10 finalists who continue their design training in the field of textile, gain a valuable business experience by taking part in the every stage of the production of their own designs from the beginning to the end, under the guidance of experienced and expert mentors in the member companies of the association. Business experience is very important for a design student. ATHİB Woven Fabric Design Competition makes a valuable contribution to the design and designer development of our country's textile and fashion industry in every aspect.”
Fashion Designer Özlem Kaya shared her experiences and feelings during the competition, ‘’Almost from the beginning, at this valuable organization which I was taking part in as a jury member, it was very worthwhile for me to bring into life numerous creative design fabrics; with its distinct emotional value. This is the extra part of my happiness in the 11th Woven Fabric Design Competition held this year... In addition to all this, I am very happy to be a part of the Woven Fabric Design Competition, which is a real fabric design competition that brings the right names to the industry.”
Exciting Moments Noted at the Final Competition Night
With the valuable and eye taking designs that are distinct and authentic, job opportunity will be presented after the fabric show by the evaluation of jury members as the winners of the contest and the assistant designer. Along with the Koton special award, the LC Waikiki special award, which will provide internship opportunities for three months, has been announced.
With the theme of "Androgyne", "Esra Hatice Dikmen" was awarded the Koton special award, which offered job opportunities as an assistant designer, and "Özge Güneş" with the theme of "Biophilia" was awarded the LC Waikiki special award, which was given the opportunity to do an internship for 3 months.
In the competition, "Esra Bekiroğlu" won the first place with the theme "Lichenes", "Hamide Çelik" with the theme "Colors of Nature", and "Eylem Barin" won the third place with the theme "Spontaneously."
