1. Tell us some words about you. How did you get to study fashion design?
I was one of those little girls who used to spend hours looking at the photos in fashion magazines. They were the most shiny things for me. Then I copied them and created my very own little creations. Watercolor was everything for me and I was loving the feel of freedom when I was drawing. Then I grew up and it was time to decide what to study. I had the talent, I had the passion so my choice was definitely fashion design!

 2. What are the skills you need to have and what are the things you need to know before being accepted at a fashion design school?
First of all you got to have a strong vision and imagination. Then of course a talented hand to get your creations on paper and most importantly practical intelligence!


3. Tell us some words about your school, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.
It’s the oldest and the best fine arts university in Turkey and it’s a big inspiration source on it’s own.

4. What where the portfolio requirements for applying at your fashion design school?
There’s no portfolio required at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. Just two drawing exams.

5. What do you actually learn/do in your fashion design school? 
School is actually a door opening to limitless possibilities. I learn all the basics there for all different areas of textile and fashion. I got lessons from some of the most successful designers of my country. But it’s me who has to get all these forward and I’m trying hard on that.

6. How important is fashion illustration for a fashion design student?
One can create fashion through so many different ways but for me, a good illustration is the designer’s authograph.


7. Is it useful or necessary to train or apprentice with another designer? You are the design assistant of Hakan Yıldırım. Tell us a few words about this experience.
I always thought that school alone is not enough for a complete fashion education. That’s why I work with real designers since my first year at school. I’m so happy and proud to be the design assistant of Hakan Yıldırım. I experienced wonderful things with him like his first catwalk show at the London Fashion Week. Those were really amazing oppurtunities for me.


8. Describe your philosophy about the art of fashion.
I think fashion is on the most commercial end of art. One can’t and musn’t lose her individuality between the art and commercial sides.

9. What inspires you when creating fashion?
I got easily inspired by an object, a photo or sometimes a person. But in the end all these inspirations melt together on the definite look I have in mind. I always need to maintain my style and all my creations must be cool!


10. What is your fashion dream?
I can say something like studying at LCF and a personal catwalk show in a big fashion week but all of these end up in the big dream of being a designer who had been able to have told all the tales in her mind.


11. What advice do you have for those who want to study fashion and become a designer?
An education in the right school is so important. Of course working hard and discipline. But none of these are enough to create fashion. They need to feed themselves from all different creative fields. Because in the end talent, hard work, experience and loads of inspiration leads to being a successful fashion designer.

All works presented in this post were created by Ece Gözen. See more on her blog.