Aynur Tattersall writes-The Southeast Anatolian Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (GATHIB) has once again set a record.They Wove 1.9 Million TLAt the 4th edition of the world-renowned Doku Fabric Design Competition this year, 1.9 million TL in prize money was awarded to encourage young minds.The final of the “Doku Fabric Design Competition,” which is organized by the Southeast Anatolian Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (GATHIB) to introduce young designers to the Turkish textile industry, took place in Gaziantep.
GAIB Coordinator Chairman Ahmet Fikret Kileci stated, “Textile is one of the most important and leading sectors for us in Turkey. We are currently facing some challenges in our business due to the current conjuncture. We must leave behind what we used to do and embrace new things. The number one way to achieve this is through design, sustainability, and digitalization. That’s why I highly value these competitions. We need to adapt to the changing global order.”
The “Doku Fabric Design Competition,” held for the fourth time this year by the Southeast Anatolian Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (GATHIB) with the coordination of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) and the support of the Ministry of Commerce, aims to contribute to value-added textile exports.
The awards ceremony, held at the GAIB Service Building, was attended by Deputy Minister of Commerce Mustafa Tuzcu, TIM President Mustafa Gültepe, GAIB Coordinator Chairman Fikret Kileci, members of parliament, numerous Union and Chamber Presidents, representatives from ministries, and public institutions.The ceremony, which awarded a total of 1.9 million TL in prize money, was organized in three categories: weaving, knitting, and printing. Speaking at the event, GAIB Coordinator Chairman Ahmet Fikret Kileci said, “Textile is one of the most important and leading sectors for us in Turkey. We are currently facing some challenges in our business due to the current conjuncture. There are very smart things we need to do. We must leave behind what we used to do and embrace new things. The number one way to achieve this is through design, sustainability, and digitalization. That’s why I highly value these competitions. We need to adapt to the changing global order. We are no longer a third-world country, nor should we be. To move to a higher class, we need to make these innovations. We must transition to the new system with minimal damage. If we don’t pay certain costs today, it might be too late tomorrow.”
SUPPORTING YOUTH IS KEY TO SUCCESS
TIM President Mustafa Gültepe added, “Textile is one of the traditional sectors that has embraced exports of over 33 billion dollars and provided employment for over 1 million people, teaching Turkey about exports. We emphasize value-added production, which is why we organize these competitions. We can only succeed if we keep up with global changes through design, our designers, our youth, and innovations. By engaging with our youth, we must raise the export value from 1.5 dollars per kilogram to over 3 dollars. We need to increase the 33 billion dollars of exports to 50 or 60 billion as soon as possible. The sector has this potential.”
OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY ABROAD
The Doku Fabric Design Competition, open to textile and fashion design students and graduates, was held in three separate categories: weaving, knitting, and printing, as in previous years. Thirty designers participated, and 120 designs competed in the final of the Doku Fabric Design Competition, which also featured a special Sustainability Award. Emir Nur Sakar won first place in the Weaving category; Gizem Akyol in Knitting, and Sümeyye Bulut in Printing, each receiving a prize of 300,000 TL. Second-place winners received 200,000 TL, and third-place winners were awarded 100,000 TL. The special Sustainability Award of 150,000 TL went to Tuğçe Kelemci. The first-place winners in each category will have the opportunity to study at internationally recognized design schools abroad for one year, subject to evaluation by the Ministry of Commerce.