A brand opportunity: Oil wrestling

A potential brand which would associate with oil wrestling could get an opportunity 

to be a popular lifestyle menswear brand

I wonder why there is no menswear brand for youngsters in Turkey which associates with oil wrestling, a well-known but not wide spread traditional sport being played for centuries.

    It’s weird because it’s probable that any brand which would relate with oil wrestling could get a natural opportunity to have sponsorship with annual Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Organization, which is held in Edirne, a city several hours away from İstanbul and to get press coverage.

   Some may have doubts about being perceived kind of provincal when the brand relates with this organization -mostly attended by not-that-elite local inhabitants. But this raw image has another opportunity: Provenance.

   Oil wrestling has been played for centuries and it used to be very popular. That’s because it has a strong provenance which would help to get public attention.

   Recent years this sport has been in the focus of gay people all around the world because of its playing style. Their perception was like this: Two half naked macho men covered olive oil wrestles and they even do freely put their hands into their kısmets (the short pants players ought to wear)

   So here is another opportunity a potential brand could use: Even though the brand would have a ‘straight’ looking it may attract gay people at the same time. Like Abercrombie and Fitch it may generate a new kind of fraternity feeling.

Kırkpınar Oil Wrestlings is a natural source for Bruce Weber-like images:

Interview: Behind the brand, Closh

Over the previous entry below, i talked with  the designers of Closh, Selvin Parunakyan and Serli Keçoğlu, about the current situation of their two-year-old brand. 

 

• You had started your business right before the global economic crisis. Even well-established brands have been severely affected by this turmoil all around the world. And it's known that small businesses have been comparatively more vulnarable, in general. Was that period harmful for you?

We are influenced directly by not the economic crisis itself but its perception in people’s mind.

Because the word, crisis, was so talked about and widespread that at some point, people became hesitant to shop and even they didn't want to go out for a short period of time. 
And then it eased up. Fortunately it was not so destructive for us.

• Do you take the latest trends into consider while you are designing? Or do you just go your own way?

Our clothes are mainly inspired by vintage designs. We modernize them as keeping the essence of the original design. Bows, falbalas, corsages, laces and pearls are the main characteristics on our cloths.  

• What’s prior while you are designing: Reflecting the original essence of the design or the expectations of your customers?

Of course, what the customers need for a good living is our first concern. But when we recreate an old-fashioned design, we try to keep its form the same as once it was! For that, we use iron corsets to keep the body tight and in shape and tutus to make the skirts and dresses swollen... 

• What’s the ratio of ready-to-wear to Haute couture in sales?

 It depends. But we can say that ready-to-wear and haute couture sales are almost fifty-fifty. 

• Now, you have partnerships with some of the popular tv series. How did it start?

 The stylists of these series discovered Closh. They said that the style of our cloths suits the characters in the serials they work with. And so our partnerships have improved. We help them choose what’s best for their need!

• How these partnerships have affected your brand? 

Because we live in a culture popularity is appreciated, we are certainly glad about this new brand awareness and perception Boutique Closh has now!

People would like to look like as chic as the personas they watch on the screen; so they, as a general tendency, try to imitate these tv figures and we help them live the life they wish for.

• What will be your next step for Closh? 

 We'd like to launch Closh abroad. But the details are not clear yet.

!! GO BELOW FOR FURTHER READING !! 

Detailed shots in Boutique Closh

Atiye Sok. No:2 Nişantaşı/İSTANBUL

Closh dresses up!

The Partnership, chic women's wear boutique Closh has made with the TV serial, Aşk-ı Memnu has put the brand into a new level, by introducing it to a new and lager audience

    Closh was opened two years ago, in Nişantaşı, by a couple of talented newly-grad fashion designers, Selvin & Serli, with Nerime Ercan and Natali Ohannesyan's great supports.

    I remember the opening night of Closh. It was so fun. Everybody was so excited; the clothes were great, store looked chic and hopes were fresh, high... Everyone expected the best, so did i.

     Whenever and wherever i see a small, independent business blossoms regardless considering of which side of business it belongs to i certainly get excited. 

Because these little stores are like oasises in a market now ruled mainly by chain stores. They are like celebration of individualistic creativity. 

    Nevertheless i had doubts regarding the future of Closh. 

    Okay the location was cool, the designers were really enthusiastic and their designs were made with inspiration. Yet these are not the only components which make a business work properly.

    For that reason what i wondered then was that if they could achieve to survive in this highly competive environment while dealing with fothcoming economic crisis.     

    So whenever i run into Selvin on the street i asked, hoping for the best, that how the store does and she always responded modestly saying "it's oka".

       This month, Closh celebrates its second year!

After the worst time of economic crisis has passed away, the recent news delightfully reveals that Closh has started to make more than oka! 

        The current partnership Closh has made with TV series Aşk-ı Memnu which has quite well ratings both in Turkey and in some Arab countries has been introduced the brand to a larger community and increased its brand awareness.

        In a very short turkish broadcasting history very few TV serial has had such an effect over people with its styling! 

       Thanks to mass media coverage, the style the serial represents has enthusiastic followers, so do the brands behind of that style!  

Prada's first store in İstanbul!

Underconstruction:

the first Prada store will open its doors in Nişantaşı, on December 10!

Prada has long been represented in İstanbul by the luxury department store Beymen, which is known with its loyal customers that place İstanbul among the ten best selling markets of Prada! 

With the opening of its new store, of course the total sales of the brand is expected to increase but what about Beymen's?

This new Prada store is just across the Beymen's flagship store. That's why everybody wonders how will the opening affect the sales in Beymen.

One of the representatives from Beymen clarified that they will no longer sell Prada in their flagship store yet the other stores have no worries about the opening, since the customers come to Beymen because of its private selection of products exclusively made for them 

the second store of Prada in İstanbul has been planned to be opened at İstinye Park Shopping Mall

20.Yüzyılın Erkek İkonları

Gary Cooper (1901 - 1961)

Rock Hudson (1925–1985)

James Dean (1931–1955)

 Alain Delon (1935 - )

 Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998)

 

Steve Mcqueen  (1930 - 1980)

 

Clark Gable (1901 - 1960)

Cary Grant (1904 - 1986)

Why Vogue not in Arabic ? !

Even if the market in Arabic is mouth watering, Condé Nast has chosen Turkey to launch Vogue instead of the United Arab Emirates. The reasons sound reasonable  

Oka i’m not complaining about it but when i heard about the lunch of Turkish Vogue for the first time, i’d thought: Why on earth Condé Nast chose Turkey instead of an Arabic country such as the United Arab Emirates or Lebanon. Since the increasing Arab effect on western fashion retailing is so serious.

It’s so clear that Arabs are more enthusiastic about the luxury consumption than the Turkish. They have been barely affected by the recession and they already have strong influence on western fashion retailing.

The Arab market is so important that Louis Vuitton has launched its first global store in Dubai Mall. Tom Ford and Jil Sander designed special items for the Gulf countries.

Besides the market expands: It’s lately mentioned that Sheikh Hassan Bin Ali al-Nuaimi from the United Arab Emirates is likely to take over the French fashion house, Christian Lacroix.

Thinking all of these above and very naively seeing only the one side of the business, i made a quick search on google and realized that this discussion has already been out of fashion.

After reading Condé Nast International Chairman Jonathan Newhouse’s press release, below, on 'why Vogue cannot be published in Arabic', one of the most important side of business i forgot hit my face: The values!

      
Here are the reasons why not in Arabic:

“Within the Arab world, or to be more accurate, the Muslim world, there is an element which accepts Western values. There is also a powerful fundamentalist, religious element which rejects Western values,

This element rejects freedom of expression, equality for women and expression of sexuality, to name three values associated with our publication.

And this militant element is capable of aggressive opposition, even violence, to attain its goals. At its most extreme, this militant element is capable of murder.

In Indonesia recently, the editor of the local edition of Playboy was put on trial even though the local edition did not print nude photos.

Our company has no wish to impose its values on a society which does not fully share them. And we do not wish to provoke a strongly negative, even violent reaction. It isn't even worth it for a few million in licensing fees.

The Middle East has plenty of people who would love to read Vogue. But unfortunately they live in the same general region as some of the most militant and violent elements.

The UAE borders Saudi Arabia, home [country] of Bin Laden and most of the September 11 terrorists. And militant elements take offense at any Arabic-language magazine.

This isn't Israel/Palestine, Iraq or Iran. It isn't a thorny problem which has to be solved. It is a problem I don't have to have. So I will simply avoid it by never entering the market. And I will sleep better at night.”

                                                         Jonathan Newhouse

the press release has taken from: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/conde_nasty_IasvwQTyblLkQMoraHzx3H#