At the forefront of the related projects is the 90-piece summer collection made from Şile Cloth, realized by Cemil İpekçi in the Bodrum district of Muğla in 2007. Before preparing the collection, Cemil İpekçi visited the workshops in Şile and examined the embroidery and prints made on Şile Cloth.
As part of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week held in Istanbul in 2014, designer Selma State presented a women’s clothing collection called ” Hafif (Light Clothes) “, with the support of Şile Bezi Handicraft Center. In the Selma State Collection, she used Şile Cloth woven on a loom and decorated the fabrics with Şile motifs using the traditional writing method. Original Şile Cloths woven in Şile Cloth Handicraft Center were used in the 2016 Spring/Summer Women’s Clothing Collection fashion show called “Rehab”, organized by designer Tuba Ergin at Yerebatan Cistern in 2016.
Şile Cloths used in the 2016 Spring/Summer Men’s Clothing Collection, presented by designer Can Yunus Çetinkaya at Zorlu Center as part of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, were woven at the Şile Handicrafts Center within the Municipality of Şile.
Clothing produced from Şile Cloth in our country and the fashion shows organized also attract attention from abroad. French designer Nadia Dafri has prepared a separate collection at Şile Handicraft Center for the Home Textile Fair Masion&Objet and the Fashion and Textile Design Fair Premiere Lousse, which took place on September 4 and 8, 2015. Şile Handicraft Center has received orders from Jordan, America, Dubai, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, and continues to attract global attention, as Şile Cloth is frequently used by designers in both home textiles and fashion design.
TURKEY WEAVING ATLAS PROJECT
Besides oral and written works, colors, motifs and patterns are also of great importance in the transfer of culture from generation to generation. Traditional weavings contain a wealth of motifs and patterns that reflect the world of emotion and thought of the Turkish people. The vitality of cultural memory is possible by preserving and making sense of these values.
“Turkey Weaving Atlas Project” was implemented by Istanbul Beylerbeyi Sabanci Technical Institute under the auspices of our President’s wife Mrs. Emine Erdoğan and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Commerce and İTHİB (Istanbul Textile Raw Materials Exporters Association). “Turkey Weaving Atlas Project” is a cultural project created to protect and develop the weaving culture of thousands of years, which forms the memory of the Turkish nation, to transfer it from generation to generation with social awareness and to introduce it to the world. The “Turkey Weaving Atlas Project” will ensure that Anatolia’s thousands of years of experience and potential meet with trade, culture and art in the international arena. The primary goal of the project is to introduce traditional weaving, which forms the roots of Turkey’s strong textile trade in the 21st century, to the world as a “Turkish brand” with contemporary designs. Providing local development by bringing traditional weavings together with the textile and fashion sector, contributing to cultural tourism and local development by creating “Weaving Culture Routes” and “Living Museums” are among the priority goals of the project.
Our Mayor İlhan Ocaklı, who talked about this project we participated as Şile Municipality in the panel titled “Examples of Good Practice on Weaving Culture in Our Geography”, drew attention to the fact that Şile Cloth is the first geographically marked product of Istanbul in his presentation. İlhan Ocaklı touched upon the examples of good practices that local governments have done in this area. İlhan Ocaklı said that Şile Cloth, made with 100% pure cotton yarn, is a very important cultural heritage dating back to the 14th century and informed the panelists about the project that Şile Municipality has conducted to keep this ancient value alive.
ŞİLE CLOTH RURAL WOMEN’S COOPERATIVE
Şile Cloth, one of the two geographically indicated products of Istanbul, opens up to the world with the “Şile Cloth Rural Women’s Cooperative” project developed by Şile Municipality within the scope of the 2020 Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and under the coordination of Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA).
With this project, which aims to create an employment area and keep our cultural value alive, we will provide additional support to the domestic economy with 5 weaving workshops, 1 sewing workshop and 80 looms, and approximately 240 women who are residents of the region. Our Şile Cloths, which come to life with the light of our women’s eyes on weaving looms where sweat and labor are blended, will add value to its cultural value.
With world-renowned weaving artist Fırat Neziroğlu, who undertook the education of our women employed and the director of Şile Cloth’s creations to be opened to the world, Şile Cloth will take its rightful place both in our country and in the world. Creations with beautiful embroidery, modern lines and traditional inspirations are prepared and exhibited in our Şile Cloth Promotion Office.
While the sounds of spinning wheels echo again in the workshops established in our neighborhoods, all the techniques that make Şile Cloth Şile Cloth are adhered to. Şile Cloth will continue to be woven as long as the people of Şile live.
ŞİLE CLOTH HANDICRAFT CENTER
Şile Women’s Community Center was implemented in 2012 as a joint project of the Ministry of State Development, Istanbul Development Agency and Şile Municipality. Şile Cloth is the first and only geographically marked product in the category of handicraft products in our district. Our center, which produces Şile Cloth with modern lines by staying true to the traditional weaving culture and methods, provides employment by providing technical training and support to our local producer women.
The aims of our center are: Ensuring and protecting the sustainability of Şile Cloth weaving culture, promoting Şile cloth on national and international platforms, providing production with modern lines by being loyal to traditional culture and methods, setting an example for local producers, planning and implementing activities and strategies to provide technical support and contributing to the district economy in a sustainable way Şile Cloth Handicraft Center also carries out important works for the promotion of Şile Cloth in national and international platforms.