I have been in the textile and fashion world since 1997, I can say that I have seen many changes in time, but the change that came with the pandemic won’t be like any other and will change the traditional understanding of textile radically.
A greater part of the textile and tailor cut manufacturing made in Turkey since 1997 was of high quantity and cheap production. We produce the product that brands sell for $100, for $7-8, and share this income as factory expenses, workers, print and embroiderers, accessories and subcontractors, and still majority of the world still continues to work just like this. The best way to to sell more goods, it was necessary to produce cheaper products and therefore keep the labor minimum. The proportions of polyester and nylon used in the fabrics increased. More, cheaper, faster…
As things began to accelerate, the creativity of the designers’ creativity started weakening, and there were models that required to be uploaded every month. Now is the time they stopped listening to their inspirations and started copying each other. There was the fact of time pressure, price pressure that was limiting designers and killing their creativity. Using cheaper fabric for a product as necessary , canceling a few special craftsmanship, and making the design not for the sake of creation but for vendors to sell, spoiled the nature of creation. Afterwards, as you can all see, brands started to produce products of the exact style. Which product will sell the most during the season has become more important because if they are able to guess which product is a bestseller, they could produce and sell those products in a million! The aim was just to sell a lot, to make it fast. The products that did not sell were either burned, used for filling the soil, or they easily found a fault and returned them to the producer, causing them all to go bakrupt.
I’ve discovered that in order to predict the trends of the next season, they try to predict what will happen in the coming seasons with artificial intelligence. They tried to guess the interest of the buyers in the coming season by uploading all the data such as all vital events, news in the world, climate conditions and trends. Since this much of property was burned, it doesn’t seem to have succeeded.
With the pandemic, this fast and much production suddenly stopped . Brands cancelled many orders as they could not sell and caused many companies to go bankrupt. The products that were in sewing were in the hands of the manufacturer, and many products that were on the ship or truck thus on the way to be loaded to the company remained at the customs. Some of the visionary companies also took responsibility and either covered the losses of the producers or tended to buy products with a discount. Thereby, these companies have taken solid steps for the future supply chain. Because it is impossible to be successful without a solid supply chain, as it is said, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
We still haven't seen the end of the pandemic yet, and we don't know how and when it will end, but it seems that now brands have started to see that they can't get anywhere thinking how much more I can sell, how fast I can put it in the store, how much cheaper I can buy. However; we are still at the very beginning and there are those who are still waiting to return to the old customary system, but human rights, animal rights and the resources of the planet can no longer wait. Textile has to change. A big part of the change I see, and the companies that can survive it, will now be those who focus mainly on what they can give without seeking to buy. Instead of saying how much I can earn from the product it sells, it should be the new thought to say how I can add value to the product it sells. Designers can use environmentally friendly fabrics and accessories, brands can take the pressure off designers by producing less, and give them a space to use their imaginations and create with love and enthusiasm.
This system requires mutual respect and love. Now, realizing that we are a part of a whole and saying your harm is my loss and your goodness is my good. Intentions determine our future. We should learn how to exist without harming others, our gain is not through the harms of others, but through common sharing. As far as I’m concerned, we will start to see partnerships in the future. Brand and manufacturer partnerships may be on the agenda. This will provide brands and manufacturers the trust they seek and the necessary cooperation for sustainability. They can achieve long-term successes by observing the rights of each other and all the workers in between.
Those who survive in the changing textile will be those who add value to this world and the system.
A greater part of the textile and tailor cut manufacturing made in Turkey since 1997 was of high quantity and cheap production. We produce the product that brands sell for $100, for $7-8, and share this income as factory expenses, workers, print and embroiderers, accessories and subcontractors, and still majority of the world still continues to work just like this. The best way to to sell more goods, it was necessary to produce cheaper products and therefore keep the labor minimum. The proportions of polyester and nylon used in the fabrics increased. More, cheaper, faster…
As things began to accelerate, the creativity of the designers’ creativity started weakening, and there were models that required to be uploaded every month. Now is the time they stopped listening to their inspirations and started copying each other. There was the fact of time pressure, price pressure that was limiting designers and killing their creativity. Using cheaper fabric for a product as necessary , canceling a few special craftsmanship, and making the design not for the sake of creation but for vendors to sell, spoiled the nature of creation. Afterwards, as you can all see, brands started to produce products of the exact style. Which product will sell the most during the season has become more important because if they are able to guess which product is a bestseller, they could produce and sell those products in a million! The aim was just to sell a lot, to make it fast. The products that did not sell were either burned, used for filling the soil, or they easily found a fault and returned them to the producer, causing them all to go bakrupt.
I’ve discovered that in order to predict the trends of the next season, they try to predict what will happen in the coming seasons with artificial intelligence. They tried to guess the interest of the buyers in the coming season by uploading all the data such as all vital events, news in the world, climate conditions and trends. Since this much of property was burned, it doesn’t seem to have succeeded.
With the pandemic, this fast and much production suddenly stopped . Brands cancelled many orders as they could not sell and caused many companies to go bankrupt. The products that were in sewing were in the hands of the manufacturer, and many products that were on the ship or truck thus on the way to be loaded to the company remained at the customs. Some of the visionary companies also took responsibility and either covered the losses of the producers or tended to buy products with a discount. Thereby, these companies have taken solid steps for the future supply chain. Because it is impossible to be successful without a solid supply chain, as it is said, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
We still haven't seen the end of the pandemic yet, and we don't know how and when it will end, but it seems that now brands have started to see that they can't get anywhere thinking how much more I can sell, how fast I can put it in the store, how much cheaper I can buy. However; we are still at the very beginning and there are those who are still waiting to return to the old customary system, but human rights, animal rights and the resources of the planet can no longer wait. Textile has to change. A big part of the change I see, and the companies that can survive it, will now be those who focus mainly on what they can give without seeking to buy. Instead of saying how much I can earn from the product it sells, it should be the new thought to say how I can add value to the product it sells. Designers can use environmentally friendly fabrics and accessories, brands can take the pressure off designers by producing less, and give them a space to use their imaginations and create with love and enthusiasm.
This system requires mutual respect and love. Now, realizing that we are a part of a whole and saying your harm is my loss and your goodness is my good. Intentions determine our future. We should learn how to exist without harming others, our gain is not through the harms of others, but through common sharing. As far as I’m concerned, we will start to see partnerships in the future. Brand and manufacturer partnerships may be on the agenda. This will provide brands and manufacturers the trust they seek and the necessary cooperation for sustainability. They can achieve long-term successes by observing the rights of each other and all the workers in between.
Those who survive in the changing textile will be those who add value to this world and the system.