We had the good fortune of connecting with Aysegul Ikna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aysegul, what do you attribute your success to?
My business is based on sustainability and being able to create sustainable fashion. My goal is not only to create a product but also teach students to how to build sustainable fashion lines. My brand’s success is not only using upcycle fabric, but also my technical knowledge of construction. My brand focuses on thoughtful design and quality of the garment. I believe we should all buy less and focus on quality and sustainable products. A study shows that 97% of what goes into making clothes are new resources, with only 3% of it being recycled materials. I hope that more designers use recycled materials. The designers like myself show people that you can have high fashion items from recycled materials.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I always had a great interest in Fashion, but i didn’t know where to start. The biggest challenge is to have an idea but can’t make it live. It was a big challenge for me. I need to learn the craft. I thought myself to how to sew and make pattern. I practiced a lot to become good at it. I still thing I am not an expert of sewing or pattern maker, but I can have my designs go alive easily. After understanding the craft, i knew something was missing at my journey. I decided to attend graduate school at SCAD. I completed my master degree in Fashion Design. I met wonderful professors and industry professionals who taught me how to build fashion line. It was a great experience.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I lived in NYC for a long time. I loved visiting Guggenheim museum. Now that I live in Atlanta, I will take my friend to High museum. It reminds me to Guggenheim museum. We will walk around the midtown neighborhood and of course Margaret Mitchell house will be our next stop. I send my daughter to their summer writing camp, she loved the storytelling classes. Visiting Margaret Mitchell’s apartment is very unique experience. There are a few restaurants and coffee shops around that neighborhood. You can get ethnic Mediterranean cuisine from Cafe Agora and nice coffee and donuts from Sweet Hut Bakery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I grew up in family owned fashion retail business in Istanbul. My both parents worked on that business day and night. I saw their commitment to be successful. They both came from disadvantaged background, and tried to build a beautiful business. My mother didn’t only sell clothes to women, was their therapist, friend and marriage counselor. She had a great customer relationship. I learned to how to build a good customer relationship with my parents.

After covid pandemic, as a fashion designer didn’t know how to start my business. Atlanta Sustainable Fashion Week team helped me a lot to show my talent.

Website: www.ayseguliknadesigns.com

Instagram: @aysegul_ikna

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/aysegul-ikna-829630152

Image Credits
Runaway images from Fall 2022 Atlanta Sustainable Fashion Week Other images: photographer: Uoben Kural

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