Fırat Neziroğlu: From Tradition to the Future with the Anatolian Textile Network

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As the brand ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand, I brought together Anatolian and Thai cultures.

Our grandmothers knew and understood nature, moving in harmony with it. The salt content of Şile's sea and the fineness of the sands on the shore guided our ancestors. To weave their fine fabrics, they would boil seawater in large cauldrons on the shores of Şile. Into the boiling seawater, they would pour a bowl of flour, creating a kind of soup. They would then dip the yarns into this mixture, coating them with flour, strengthening the yarns. These yarns were then stretched onto the looms, and fine fabrics were woven. After weaving, the fabrics were washed in the sea and dried on the fine sands of Şile’s beaches. The fine sands became embedded in the Şile cloth, but these fabrics, strengthened with flour and washed in the sea, became what is known as Şile Bezi.
You know how deeply connected I am to culture, tradition, and Anatolia. I also feel connected to you all, and this brings me great joy.

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We have established 100 looms in Şile and trained 200 Şile women in weaving.
The women of Şile wove and sewed.
I continue to support women's employment in Şile.
We wove the finest fabrics, just like our grandmothers.
I designed with deep respect for Anatolia.

This project was made possible thanks to the great interest and support of the Istanbul Development Agency. Unfortunately, due to the cooperative presidents distancing themselves from the weaving villages and prioritizing their own interests, the expected impact of the project’s continuity was not achieved.

I continue to do my best to support my weaving students in the villages on my own.