BAHAR KORCAN, fashion stylist
An article named “Turkey : Fashion designer Bahar Korcan - Istanbul’s pride!” appeared on December 21, 2006 issue of Fibre2Fashion.
1982 Started working in Vakko as an Assistant Stylist.
1987 Became a partner to NN Club, a local brand name and designed collections for the company.
1992 Her collection “Natural” won the first prize in the “ITKIB Turkey Stylists” Competition. This collection was also presented in the opening gala show of the Düsseldorf “IGEDO” Fair. The collection earned much publicity and received cover page in many international fashion publications. It was regarded as a pioneer of this line of fashion.
1993 Opened first style office of Turkey. Participated in the fashion show of the New Fashion Generation section as the guest and under the sponsorship of the Düsseldorf “IGEDO” Fair. This collection attracted attention with local fabrics, as a historical synthesis of the past and the future and was exhibited in the Fair. Began working with a showroom (Ajour) in Paris and her collections started to expand to boutiques in Paris as well as South of France. In addition to own collections, undertook creative projects of clothing and image for many celebrities in Turkey. (Tarkan, Yonca Evcimik, etc.) Created collections for different companies. Launched the “Bahar Korçan” brand name in Turkey.
1994 Presented her “95 Summer Collection: “Tas ve Ten” (Stone and Skin) at the “SURMODE” Fair of Paris. In this collection, introduced 3 unique historical female figures (The bronze age, Frigya, Artemis) inspired by the archeological finds of Turkey.
1995 Opened the “Press Show” at the “CPD” Fair of Düsseldorf. Once again her collections received much acclamation in the Europe press.
1996 Presented her winter collection “Organik ritim (Organic rhythm) at the “TRANOI” fair of Paris. Resented her summer collection, “Varolus Vibrasyonu (Vibration of (Existence)” at the “PARIS SUR MODE” Fair of Paris. She received many orders for this collection from many countries such a USA and FRANCE. The “Vibration’97 Summer, Bahar Korçan” show with the main theme of “Existence” was highly acclaimed in Europe. More than 60 selected members of the international fashion press came to Turkey to attend this show, mainly sponsored by Arat Textile. The show received coverage in many well-known local and international fashion magazines. In December “Art by Bahar Korçan” was launched as the fruit of a partnership with Arat Textile. This partnership, which is the first of its kind between a creator and an industrialist, is especially significant for the outwards-looking Turkish Textile Industry.
1997 Presented the “97-98 Art by Bahar Korçan” collection at the “CPD” Fair of Düsseldorf. Her collection titled”97-98 Dönüsüm (Transformation)” received high publicity at the “PARIS SUR MODE” Fair of Paris. Her collection titled “Baska Zamanin Kadinlari (Women of Another Time)” inspired by Çatalhöyük, the 3rd largest excavation of the world, received much acclamation at the “Carole de Bona” Fair of Paris. In November, the “Baska Zamanin Kadinlari (Women of Another time) ‘98 spring / Summer” show with the main theme “Çatalhöyük” Was highly acclaimed in Europe. More than 60 selected members of the international fashion press came to Turkey to attend this show. The show received coverage in many well-known local and international fashion magazines.
1998 In Turkish 75th Anniversary of Republic, she designed a costume for violinist Tuncay Yilmaz for “Turkish Republic Ball” in Monaco. She designed all the costumes and their accessories, for the first Turkish theatre actress “Afife Jale” ’s life, produced by Halk Sigorta and performed by “Devlet Opera ve Balesi Modern Dans Toplulugu”(State Opera and Ballet Modern Dance Turkey).
1999 In May, Bahar Korçan” changed her office, which she has been working since 92, into an Atölye-Magza. Atölye-Magza is a system. This system is a new trend in New York and being used for the first time in Turkey. At the moment with the Turkish Science Institute and NASA she is preparing a fashion show which includes 4 different art subjects and cosmology. This project will be held in May for three days. It will be ‘99-’00 Autumn- Winter collection. In October at Paris Premier Vision Fair Bahar Korçan’s collection will be exhibited at Du Pont Stand’s Winter Collection in Trend division. Bahar Korçan is the first Turkish designer who takes place at the Trend-maker division. In August she presented her 2000 Summer Collection called “Identities” in Düsseldorf CPD Exhibition. The Fashion show was presented with Turkish Folk Music and also there was a photographer, a media manager, a choreographer, a graphic designer, a Balkan’s swim champion and dancers who were professional in their job except models. The 100% hand-painted textures were the most important property of her collection. In the first Istanbul Fashion Days she took the award called “The Best Designer” which was a part of “1999 Fashion Awards”. In the organization of “In 75 years 75 women” which was organized by Mimosa Magazine-in the group of Sabah Magazine Group- because of celebration of 75th year of Turkish Republic, she took the award called “The Most Successful Women of Turkey”. So she took part in 75 most successful women of Turkey.
2000 She created 600 costumes of “Sultans Of The Dance” which is pretended to be the biggest dance performance that is ever made in Turkey. Also the premier of this organization will be held in the 2001 March. In December she took the award called “The Women Of 2000 Years” in the organization called “The Women of 2000″ prepared by Omomatik &Tempo cooperation. Oriflame selected her as the most successful woman of 1999 in March. In the World Women Day at the 8 of March she took the award called “Successful Women” in the organization prepared by Marmara University. The firm named “Orta Anadolu Ticaret ve Sanayi” which is established in 1985 and at since that date has became the most important firms in the world who are producing denim. Levi’s, Rifle, Guess, Calvin Klein, Replay, Diesel, Donna Karan , Mavi Jeans are the companies that Orta Anadolu works with. From the beginning of 2000 Bahar Korçan is the designer advisor to them.
2001 She designed all the costumes of the modern dance performance called “Travelogue 2001″ produced and performed by State Opera &Ballet, Modern Dance Turkey in February 2001. She exhibited her 2001 Fall Winter collection “One” Accompanied by a modern dance performance on the 9th of May “European Union Day”; an organization which was a collaboration of European Commission Turkey’s Representative Ambassador Karen Fog and TUSIAD. The performance was shown live on CNN Turk and many other television channels.
2002 Bahar Korçan designed the uniforms for the 6500 employees of a logistic firm; again for the first time in Turkey. Her “Ipler / Strings” called 2003 Summer collection, was presented along a dance performance to an audience of 3000 guests. She designed the costumes for “Mavi Gözlü Dev”, a play about Nazim Hikmet, a famous Turkish poet, performed by Ankara State Opera and Ballet, and “Olagan Mucizeler”, directed by Lale Mansur and Kubilay Tümer.
2003 She designed all the costumes for “Ormanda birseyler oluyor” play of Ferhan Sensoy -a famous Turkish theater actor- that was called and held in Park Orman. She also designed costumes for “kimlikler / Identities”, performed by a modern dance company. In addition to her fashion designer identity she also has a great talent for writing stories. Her stories “Deli Oykuler / Crazy Stories” and “Gelecek Oykuleri / Future Stories” were published by Okyanus.
2004 She’s been given the best fashion designer award on 18 January 2004 by Pantene. She designed the dance costumes for “Benim Akdenizim”, for CRR Modern dance theater -one of the leading modern dance groups in Turkey. Her “KOKSUZLUK / ROOTHLESNESS” collection which was presented to a distinguished selection of guests in Olympus Fashion Week held in New York City on February, was another success story.
2005 An Innovation From Bahar Korçan Again Bahar Korçan who interrogates the concept of the fashion, improves her designer identity upon these questions and unifies her collections with her writings; searched the answers to these interrogations about 2006 summer creation with a short film his3. This film deserved a special view in Akbank Film Festival. She unified with Galata by the intersection of her thoughts, feelings and drawings and proceeds her way with new Galata Atelie-Store.
Source: www.baharkorcan.org
Ece Ege was born in Bursa, Turkey in 1963. She spent her youth, beside her jeweller father, in the heart of the ancient metropolis, rich in history and architecture.