IFCO Istanbul: From industrial power to promoting Turkish brands
Invited to discover the 10th edition of the IFCO (Istanbul Fashion Connection) trade show, held from August 19 to 21, at the Istanbul Expo Center, FashionUnited explored how the event has evolved. Beyond Turkey's manufacturing power and competitiveness, what role does the show now give to brands, creativity and the new demands of the European market?
For this edition, the show brought together 208 exhibitors across 11,000 square metres, spanning three halls. The organisers anticipated around 20,000 professional visitors from over 130 countries (final figures were not released at the time of publication).
The initial impression is that a significant portion of the offering is more commercial and classic. It seems better suited to the local market than to the trends dominating Western fashion.
This presents a paradox, as nearly 70 percent of Turkey's apparel exports are destined for Europe.
Turkey exports its clothing, but far fewer of its brands
In total, in 2025, Turkey exported 16.8 billion dollars worth of apparel worldwide, with 60.6 percent going to the European Union, according to the 2025 annual report by the Istanbul Apparel and Ready-to-Wear Exporters' Association (İHKİB).
Germany leads with 2.6 billion dollars in exports, followed by the Netherlands (1.9 billion dollars), Spain (1.7 billion dollars) and the UK (1.4 billion dollars). France and the US each account for approximately 900 million dollars.
Their study, published in 2023 and conducted with 190 Turkish companies representing 15 percent of apparel exports, reveals the coexistence of several business models. 58 percent produce for international brands from their own collections and designs; 54 percent work on a contract manufacturing basis; and 29 percent export under their own brand.
“We know that Turkey is very powerful in production. Brands are also very important for a country and we are making great efforts in this area,” emphasised Mustafa Paşahan, president of IFCO and president of İHKİB, during a dinner with the press. “We are determined to increase the number of Turkish brands with an international presence.”
Denim, a showcase of Turkish industrial expertise
While garments made in Turkey are already widely available in Western markets, why do Turkish brands remain comparatively discreet?
In the aisles of IFCO, denim illustrates this paradox. Turkey has recognised industrial expertise. For its 10th edition, IFCO expanded the space dedicated to it. The country has a value chain that extends from fabric development to garment manufacturing, including washing and finishing technologies.
Among the innovations developed by the local industry, Hülya Güner, a manager at İHKİB, mentioned the cultivation of natural indigo in Adana.
However, Turkish denim brands have little international visibility. This is a deliberate choice, for example, by Integral Jeans, which does not want to develop a network of boutiques or direct online sales in order to avoid competing with its wholesale clients. The company remains committed to an exclusively wholesale model. Its clients place orders in its showroom in Merter, Istanbul, before reselling the products in their own stores.
Integral Jeans thus illustrates a form of internationalisation characteristic of the sector. The Turkish product travels, sometimes under its own brand, without the company necessarily seeking to build a distribution network directly identifiable by the end consumer.
Menswear, a heavyweight with classic codes
Denim is not the only segment that IFCO chose to give more visibility to for its 10th edition. The trade show is also strengthening its menswear offering with a new dedicated space in Hall 4.
This is where Jakamen can be found. The Turkish brand offers an example of international development through franchising. It has 35 of its own boutiques and 40 franchises in Turkey, in addition to 45 boutiques abroad.
Womenswear between eastern style and western fashion
The womenswear offering at IFCO includes modest fashion, aimed particularly at the Turkish and Middle Eastern markets.
In this environment, It’s Basic stands out with codes more directly aligned with those of Western markets and claims a resolutely international strategy.
“Our vision is to be more international than domestic,” Ersin Turan, head of marketing and design, explained to FashionUnited. “Many brands at IFCO remain focused on the Turkish, Arab or Slavic markets, but the globalisation of trends, accelerated by social media, is reducing the differences between markets”.
It’s Basic will also exhibit at the Who’s Next trade show (Porte de Versailles, Paris) from September 5 to 7, where it says it is collaborating with the show on its new Denim District. It also exhibits at Coterie New York, Magic Las Vegas and Denim Days Amsterdam. The brand has an office and a boutique in Amstelveen.
The Core aims to spotlight Turkish creativity
Following the trends of a now global fashion world is not the only way to gain international visibility. IFCO is also banking on the uniqueness of Turkish design with The Core, a space dedicated to designers that has been completely redesigned for this tenth edition.
The Core is thus abandoning the traditional alignment of stands in favour of a scenographic installation bringing together twenty Turkish designers under the theme "Rooted Forms, SS27."
“At IFCO, there are brands, but we are designers,” noted Belma Özdemir, president of the Turkish fashion designers' association MTD. “Our products are more expensive and we need different buyers. IFCO helps us meet the right buyers, especially those from high-end boutiques. We have many talented designers in Turkey, especially young designers, but they need to be connected with the right buyers to be able to develop internationally.”
Fashion shows as another showcase for creativity
This desire to give more visibility to creativity extends to the catwalk. In Hall 8, IFCO schedules fashion shows from both Turkish and foreign brands.
IFCO hosted six Indonesian designers who came to present their modest fashion collections inspired by Wastra, the traditional Indonesian textile heritage, as part of the international promotion of In2MotionFest 2026.
TerziAdemAltun, a Turkish brand previously specialising in menswear, sent several looks down the runway worn by women. “A way of showing the unisex potential of certain pieces,” said Adem Altun, a representative of the company, who claims to have noticed the importance of his female audience on social media.
Digital product passport, a current topic for the Turkish industry
For the Turkish industry, however, developing in European markets does not only depend on the appeal of its collections or the visibility of its brands. It must also meet the new regulatory requirements of the European Union.
Among the topics of concern for the sector is the future digital product passport (DPP), which was also on the agenda of the IFCO conferences.
The DPP, introduced by the European Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), is intended to make information about products and their value chain digitally accessible. For Turkish manufacturers, the stakes are particularly high as the European Union is their primary export market.
“In the same way that you cannot travel without a passport, a product will not be able to be exported without one,” summarised Paşahan. “The Turkish industry has been working on this for three years. Traceability must go back to the raw material and some yarns already have a digital passport.”
In 2027, IFCO moves its summer edition to September
The choice of August has been a hindrance in attracting some European buyers, who are still on holiday. The management believes that moving the event to September should improve international attendance.
Therefore, in 2027, the second annual edition (after February) will be held from September 8 to 10.
By adapting its calendar to that of Western buyers, IFCO is taking another step in its international development. It does so without giving up one of its unique features: its position at the crossroads of East and West, which allows it to bring together different markets, aesthetics and fashion cultures.
Florence Julienne travelled to Istanbul, invited by IFCO