Newsletters
Turkish fashion designer Ozlem Suer staged an “Istanbul-Sofia” themed runway show in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, bringing a cross-city story of shared memory, migration, and reunion into a diplomatic setting hosted by Türkiye’s embassy.
The show was held at the Turkish Embassy residence in Sofia, hosted by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Sofia Mehmet Sait Uyanik and his wife, Eda Ersek Uyanik. Guests included representatives from Bulgaria’s culture, arts, and fashion circles, alongside diplomats and politicians, turning the residence into a formal venue where fashion was used to bring two cities into the same frame.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Uyanik said the event helped make visible a shared memory built up over years between Istanbul and Sofia through the language of fashion. He also described it as the first cultural event the embassy hosted in the new year, presenting it as a meaningful and inspiring start to their cultural programming.
As he spoke about what fashion can stand for, Uyanik framed it as something that goes beyond a way of dressing and can be read as a strong expression of cultural heritage, creativity, and dialogue. He said each piece shown on the runway was set up to tell a story that ties Türkiye and Bulgaria together, linking past and future as well as friendship and fashion, and he described the evening as building a bridge of elegance and inspiration between the two cities.
Uyanik also pointed to Suer’s international experience, noting that she has put on more than 40 notable runway shows in major fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Berlin, and said her Sofia collection was shaped to reflect shared values and a closely aligned spirit between Istanbul and Sofia.
Suer said the special “Istanbul-Sofia” collection was built around the story of a friendship that began in childhood, was split up by migration, and later came together again through a reunion years afterward. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), she explained that the show drew on the idea of two girls named Istanbul and Sofia meeting again and bringing their childhood bond back to life, and she said the theme also connected with her own family background, noting that her grandfather was born in Bulgaria and that migration stories exist within her family.
She said she carried out dedicated research to track down shared points between the two cultures so that the values of both could be brought out visually, traditionally, and thematically in the collection. She described the process as exciting, saying she aimed to help bring out the closeness between the two cultures and to put that feeling across through clothing and fashion culture.
In her remarks, Suer said Turkish fashion holds a high value on the global axis, adding that Turkish designers draw on the energy of their geography and speak out to the world from a region where traditions and fashion come together. She also highlighted the importance of both established names who paved the way and the new generation of designers, noting that today’s designers are highly equipped through their education.
She said the world keeps looking for Turkish designers and applauds them on runways, while also pointing to the Turkish fashion and textile industry as a leading global industry and describing Türkiye as a locomotive in many fields. She added that with new brands and designer identities, Turkish creatives are putting themselves across strongly on runways and in global fashion capitals.
The event wrapped up after a reception. Hair stylist Sabit Akkaya, described as one of Türkiye’s leading hairdressers and hair stylists, said he found the atmosphere outstanding and spoke of the pleasure of working with Suer. He added that being together with valued people in a valued setting made him feel honored, and he said it became one of the unforgettable memories of his life.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
3 min read
