Organized by İZFAŞ and hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Fashion Prime – 9th Textile, Ready-to-Wear Suppliers and Technologies Fair provided a platform not only for industry professionals but also for young designers to experience the production process firsthand. Futurism-themed garments and footwear designs created by university students, who transformed various fabrics into original creations during fabric and design workshops, were showcased to visitors on the final day of the fair.
As part of the ninth edition of Fashion Prime, held on October 21–23 this year, students developed a collection inspired by futurism during the “Fabric and Design” workshop organized in collaboration with Üçel Fashion Academy. Meanwhile, the “Creative Use of Fabric in Footwear Design” workshop, led by Numan Kaygısız, focused on innovative applications of textile fabrics in footwear design. Students studying textile, fashion design, and footwear design had the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice and create original designs through these workshops.
Numan Kaygısız, who has worked in footwear design, production, and education for many years, expressed his pleasure in sharing his experience with young participants at the fair.
“With the establishment of footwear design departments at universities, the number of young people interested in this field is increasing. Working with young people is a mutual learning experience for me. I consider passing on the knowledge and experience I have gained to future generations an important responsibility. Genuine leather and textile fabrics are among the essential materials used in footwear production. During the workshop we organized as part of Fashion Prime, we focused on the creative use of fabrics in footwear, drawing inspiration from designs for the bridal and evening wear industries. We also had the opportunity to showcase our students' creations to visitors,” Kaygısız said.
Belkıs Ramazan Öztürk, a fashion illustration instructor at Üçel Fashion Academy, explained the design process behind the collection created with students and highlighted their approach to sustainable fashion.
“As part of the ninth edition of Fashion Prime, we prepared a futurism-themed collection with our students. We began by sketching the designs and creating mood boards. We then developed the patterns and sewed the garments. By making use of leftover or unused fabrics provided by supporting companies, we aimed to contribute to recycling efforts and promote a sustainable approach to fashion,” Öztürk said.
Students participating in the workshops also shared that learning new techniques, bringing their designs to life with their own hands, and transforming their ideas into tangible products had been both an enjoyable and educational experience.