In the last 20 years, design has not only been discovered in Istanbul but has also turned into such a big phenomenon that it has reached a threshold, and the term is now at risk of being worn out and overused. How and why this has happened is a long story. I will give a snapshot overview.

In the early 1990s, there were just a handful of design-oriented firms in Turkey, such as Koleksiyon, Nurus, Beymen, Vitra, Arçelik, and Beko. The professional organization of designers, ETMK (Industrial Designers’ Society of Turkey), was established in 1988 and emerged as one of the leading organizations in this sector after 1994. However, the key turning point for the rise of design in Turkey was the 1995 customs union between Turkey and the European Union, which forced Turkish companies to be more competitive in the market. Competition makes companies seek novelty: better and newer products. Turkish companies, no longer able to copy and reproduce foreign equipment, tools, and goods, began to recognize the power of original design and branding.

The consequences were twofold: the demand for Turkish design and designers increased, and renowned foreign designers were employed by companies wishing to gain a respected position in international markets. Fritz Frenkler, Anette Ponholzer for Nurus, and Ross Lovegrove for Vitra are just a few examples that come to mind. Designers’ Odyssey ‘98: The Adventures of Turkish Designers, a design exhibition accompanied by an international conference, was not only a nice welcome to the new millennium, but also served to stimulate design in Istanbul. 

However, this rise of design was ruptured by two unfortunate catastrophes: the Gölcük earthquake in 1999, which claimed about 17,500 lives (according to official figures), and the 2001 economic crisis, which caused the collapse of several major Turkish banks. 

Both of these events changed the design scene, in some ways for the better. As a result of the earthquake, the construction industry boomed, earthquake-safe housing schemes were developed, gated communities flourished, business and shopping centers proliferated, and high-rise buildings began to occupy the blue sky of the city, irreversibly denting the historical skyline of Istanbul. Obviously, these new residential and business spaces required new decorations, furniture, and accessories, which paved the way for an increasing number of design departments, journals, and a growing design industry. 

In recent years, the world has noticed the achievements of internationally based Turkish designers such as Alev Ebuzziya, Ayşe Birsel, Defne Koz, Mirzat Koç, and Koray Özgen, and the overseas achievements of Turkish designers such as Oya Akman, Aziz Sarıyer, Can Yalman, and Inci Mutlu. Turkish design companies such as Autoban, Ilio, Derin, Design Base, Keystone, and Maybe Design have further consolidated the global presence of Turkish design. Nevertheless, the great leap occurred after 2005. In this year, Istanbul Design Week was established, the Istanbul Modern Museum was opened, design programs began airing on television, and the monthly Radikal Design Journal was published. 

Designer shops always attract interest. The home decor sections of established brands such as IKEA, Mudo, Mozaik, and many others have made design widely accessible to a much broader audience in Turkey. 

Fashion designers are using the term “design” more than any others, and are, in many ways, the design leaders in Turkey. Istanbul’s prominence as a center of fashion design has been further promoted by the annual ITKIB (Istanbul Textile and Confection Exporters Union) competitions and regular annual shows in Istanbul Fashion Week, the establishment of the Association of Fashion Designers in 2006 and IMA (Istanbul Moda Academy) in 2008, as well as the opening of several fashion design departments at various universities in recent years. The quasi-realistic dream of the textile sector is to convert Istanbul into one of the leading fashion centers of the world. The Turquality programme is a financial support project initiated by the government, which aims to create Turkish global brands. Needless to say, several young fashion designers and businesses get support from this fund for their international shows and marketing activities. 

The “Design TURKEY Awards” were founded in 2008 by the government in cooperation with the ETMK. These awards are expected to occur every two years going forward, with designers submitting works that are exhibited and presented to an international jury. A prestigious award ceremony is held in Istanbul for the winning designs in various categories. 

No doubt about it: design is a hot topic, and Istanbul is in the driver’s seat. Two forthcoming international events are simply the icing on the cake: the Istanbul Design Biennal, which will occur for the first time in 2012, and the design congresses of IDA (International Design Alliance) in 2013. Although the evolution of design in Istanbul is a miraculous story, this does not mean that she is a design city now. “Design” is being used in common parlance as a catchphrase, placed on shop fronts, employed by salesmen as a part of their sales pitch, appropriated for fancy advertisements and promotions, and inflated for branding and marketing. A new toy for an old capital? Well, let’s be fair, let’s wait and see.