“It is important for us to drive positive change in fashion and ultimately in society,” says Fatih Konukoglu, CEO of Turkish denim producer Isko. He is referring to the company’s mission to “never stand still.”
Konukoglu’s ambitions are reflected in the scale of the Turkish denim company, which was founded in 1983 and today sells its materials in over 60 countries. Isko’s production capacity is 250 million meters of denim per year, with a focus on innovation and sustainable manufacturing methods, two elements the company is particularly proud of. At the same time, it grows and develops.
“For us, sustainability is the whole package, starting with purchasing, manufacturing and shipping,” said Baris Ozden, Isko’s R&D manager, who has been with the company for 26 years. Speaking to FashionUnited at Isko’s headquarters in Bursa, Turkey, Ozden addressed the company’s commitment to circular production and freedom of design, which he says go hand in hand. It is this quality that plays a prominent role in all of Isko’s production and distribution.
It’s about efficiency
Almost all of Isko’s denim production processes have a focus on efficiency and sustainable practices. With the indigo dyeing process, for example, the team at the factory is keen to achieve any desired shade as efficiently and sustainably as possible, which means minimal waste and disruption.
The dyeing process consists of several steps, including the use of traditional skein dyeing methods. In indigo dyeing, for example, oxygen is used for the color change, a key factor in the process. A machine lifts the strands up and subjects them to oxidation for 42 seconds before lowering them back down and repeating the process. As the system continues, the strands visibly change color – from a dark green to an indigo. They are then checked again to ensure that the desired shade has really been achieved. A camera placed over the end product at the end of the process takes 100 pictures over a minute to verify that the color is correct.
There are no visible signs of water or chemical use on the site. Both are pumped through concealed pipes via an automated system monitored 24/7 by a team of engineers. Any disruption could result in the machines having to be stopped entirely, disrupting the process and causing wasted material – but Ozden notes that the chance of this happening is “fortunately less than 0.2 percent”.
The company’s web system also works around the clock and is only interrupted on special holidays. Before the strands are sent for weaving, nimble craftsmen separate them into individual threads by hand and machine so that the rolls can then be fed into the complex weaving process, in which the workers operate the heavy machines in three shifts.
Next is Isko’s pattern factory, which has the capacity to produce 10,000 garments per day. Creative director Ertugrul Konukoglu says the company hopes to increase that number to 15,000 by next year. “We not only renew the fabrics, but also the machines,” adds Konukoglu. Since March 2022, the factory has been operating with automated production processes and has commissioned a number of brand new machines, including a bag making machine, all designed with the end use in mind.
Innovation is evident throughout Isko’s production process, from the 40-meter-tall distribution center filled to the ceiling with fabrics and run entirely by machines, to the washing facilities, where a team combines multiple technologies to create different denim washes to achieve. “Every day we try to reduce our water and chemical use through alternatives,” says Ozden. “We save up to 90 percent water compared to conventional processes.”
A short walk to the roof of the Isko facility reveals “one of the largest solar arrays in Turkey powering all of this,” as Ozden explains. The solar panels, which span the entire width of the buildings, produce enough electricity from solar energy for the entire production process and deliver two megawatts per day.
Extensive archives and endless collaborations
All of Isko’s innovations can be found in the showroom, which houses the company’s endless product archive, from the very first collaborative collection to the most recent creations, such as the joint line with Paolo Gnutti, founder of Italian manufacturer PG.
In line with its philosophy, the company has made its denim available to Gnutti in order to give free rein to its creativity and to give the designer complete freedom in the design of the final products. Speaking to FashionUnited about this new collaboration, Gnutti said he wanted to “infuse a fashion forward feel into the clothes” while remaining “close to the roots of denim”. Some advanced methods have been used on the pieces in the line, including Isko’s Scratch & Jeans technique, which engraves the company’s name into the material, and a patented technology, Isko Cozy, which uses a washed fiber technique to give the denim a fluffy feel interior gives.
Isko notes that this mindset is very close to the heart of the company and allows free collaboration with designers and factories who could then produce unique denim collections for retail. While Isko’s main denim line is for retail and focuses on manufacture and materials, the design collaborations allow the creatives to choose the materials and focus solely on the design aspects of the end products. “We believe in the power of different disciplines,” says Ozden, noting that different laundries have different expertise and skills that allow them to produce such a wide range of denim.
What’s next for Isko? In order to develop further, the company begins to expand its research to other countries. The first step is the recently opened product development center in London, which opened in May. Ozden said it’s a good opportunity to research new techniques and get direct feedback on Isko products. The company also plans to open a similar product development center in Germany in September this year.
FashionUnited was invited by Isko to visit their headquarters and facilities in Bursa, Turkey.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ