Fashion Culture and Istanbul

We are taking a trip to the history of our fashion culture and design treasures of our own city. For the event on “Fashion Culture and the City”, we will be hosting our speakers Gönül Paksoy and Elif Mahir Metinsoy who work on design culture in Turkey and fashion history.

Gönül Paksoy

Gönül Paksoy is a chemical engineer and is a designer inspired by Anatolian Culture. She emphasizes sustainability and the use of old fabrics and natural dyes in her design. She has been taking parts in individual and collaborative exhibitions since 1972. She curated the exhibition “ Türkan Şoray - Costumes on Screen” in 2007. Her work also has been exhibited in numerous places abroad. She is a versatile designer whose work include books, rag dolls and unique table designs that are all hand sewn, hand painted and made of 100% silk.

Elif Mahir Metinsoy

Elif Mahir Metinsoy completed her undergraduate degree at Boğaziçi University Department of Political Science and International Relations, and her graduate degree at Bogazici University Institute of Ataturk's Principles and History of Turkish Revolution. After getting a second graduate degree from Strasbourg University Department of Turkology, she got a doctorate degree in 2012 from Boğaziçi University and Strasbourg University with her thesis titled “Ottoman-Turkish Poor Women During the First World War: Women's Experiences and Politics of Everyday Life, 1914-1923”. This work was awarded as “The Best Doctorate Thesis on Social Sciences” by Boğaziçi University Scientific Research Projects Commission in 2013. In addition to numerous articles and studies on history of Ottoman society and women, she also has a book titled “Fashion and Women of İstanbul in Armistice Era, 1918-1923 (2014)”. She continued her postdoctoral research at Middle Eastern Technical University History Department between 2013-2015, and currently gives lectures on gender in society and women's history at Galatasaray University Political Science Department.