7th Edition Again Visitor Magnet for the International Fashion Industry – February 5-8, 2025

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  • Successful seventh edition of IFCO, Istanbul Fashion Connection writes success story and confirms itself as an international fashion hub
  • With 513 exhibitors in 8 halls of the Istanbul Expo Centre, all fashion segments under one roof: womenswear, menswear, kids wear, designer, lingerie & hosiery, evening dress, denim, leather garments, shoes and accessories
  • 33,788 visitors from 151 countries with a over 40 % share of international visitors, an increase of 5,3% compared to February 2024. Main visitor countries: Middle East (32.5%), Europe (23.1%), Asia (25.1%), North Africa (14.6%), A total of 4,7% of visitors came from the USA, South America, Australia and Africa.
  • B2B meetings in speed dating mode in the elegant ambience of the WoW Hotel on the day before the trade fair with high-calibre international buyer groups
  • Over 25 top designers once again inspired visitors with their creative and high-quality collections in The Core Istanbul, IFCO Brands presented the leading Turkish retail brands, the kids’ area IFCO Kids grew to 40 exhibitors.
  • IMA Trend Area inspired with the theme MINDSCAPE, combines science and spirituality, technological innovation with holistic well-being, promoted the understanding of personal growth and ecological awareness
  • In focus of the expert talks at IFCO: spring/summer 26 trends from WGSN, fashion marketing in the context of social media from IUAD Napoli Moda Academia digitalization in the fashion industry from fashion sector, among others.

The successful seventh edition of IFCO Istanbul Fashion Connection took place from 5 to 8 February 2025 with 33,788 visitors. At IFCO, with 514 exhibitors met international trade visitors from 151 countries such Algeria, Canada, France, Germany, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, the USA and the United Arab Emirates in a total of 8 halls at the Istanbul Expo Centre. The largest group of foreign visitors came from the Middle East (32.5%), Asia (25.1%), Europe (23.1%) and North Africa (14.6%). A total of 4,7% of visitors came from the USA, South America, Australia and Africa.

‘Türkiye is a leading player in the global fashion industry, the sixth largest apparel supplier in the world and the third largest in the EU with an export share of 3.5 per cent. With growing expertise in design and branding, we are striving to transform from a manufacturing hub to a nation of internationally recognized fashion brands. Thanks to decades of experience, cutting-edge technology and innovative design capacity, we are ready for this change. Our brands have over 3000 shops and points of sales in over 100 countries. Our goal is to establish Istanbul as a global fashion hub. IFCO plays a key role in this and has made remarkable progress despite its young history, becoming the largest fashion fair in Europe.’ Mustafa Gültepe, President TİM & İHKİB‘

Exhibitors

Divided into clear product areas on a total of 35,000 square meters of exhibition space, brands and manufacturers presented the latest collections from the areas of womenswear, menswear, kids wear, denim, sportswear, evening and wedding wear, lingerie, hosiery, leather garments, shoes and accessories.

The Core Istanbul, originally part of Istanbul Fashion Week, is now a central part of IFCO. More than 25 established and up-and-coming designers use the platform to present their collections and make valuable contacts – both with long-standing and new customers. Among them were: Akay Tekstil- MAISON KAISROS Alaii Tekstil- ALAİİ , Alldenıms Tekstil- SYGA, Aylin Çetinkaya- DENIM HEADS, Deba Tekstil- BİST, Df Tasarım Tekstil- TUBA ERGİN, Erkan Demiroğlu Tekstil- ERKAN DEMİROĞLU, Eyna Çanta Aksesuar- EYNACO, Gamze Satgan- BIANCO E NERO, Gökhan Yavaş, Hacere Orhan- HCR Collection, Helin Aydoğan, HEVA, Kübra Demir- RYDERACT, Lazaza Tekstil- LAZAZA, Meltem Aybar, Meltem Özbek, Mert Erkan, MIRIMALIST, Oktay Süslüer- DİLEK SÜSLÜER, Oz Concept Store Takı Aksesuar- BE OZ, Papyon Medya Yapım- MAJURA BY ÖZLEM ERKAN, Şebnem Yıldız, The Stance Co. – THESTANCE CO., Urban Muse Tasarım- URBAN MUSE, VV Tekstıl San- VIOLA&VESPER.

The designer collections alongside the exclusive location at the trade fair and the special design of the area make The Core Istanbul a valued hot spot in industry, a meeting point for international buyers and a place where outstanding communication networks are created. ‘The show is going great, and we have built strong networks. As a first-time participant at The Core; “I am delighted to meet buyers from all over the world, including the USA and the Republics of Türkiye. Visitors come with the realization that this is a special place, which makes it even more valuable for us designers.” Gökhan Yavas, designer. Kübra Demir was there for the second time with her brand Ryder Act, this time with her S/S 26 handmade linen collection. Tuba Ergin has been an exhibitor at The Core from the very beginning and is convinced of the positive impact of the trade fair. With every participation, she gains new customers from all over the world. Ece Öney, designer from Viola & Vesper, also confirms The Core as an efficient business platform: ‘The trade fair was a complete success for us. We were able to hold numerous discussions with shops and buyers and, in addition to visitors from the Middle East and Europe, also made valuable contacts in the USA. As long-standing participants, we are completely satisfied; every season the trade fair provides a new impetus for networking and sales. As long as the The Core section exists, we will continue to participate.’

In the IFCO BRANDS area, market leaders and retail brands such as Jakamen, Sabri Özel, NCS, Kayra, Jimmy Key, UCLA – Ecko Unltd, Nefeli, Armine, Rojbey, Kiğılı, Nara Max, İpekyol, and Damat impressed with trendy stands in their individual store designs. They presented the latest collections, which they also sell internationally, and reported that they were very satisfied with their participation in the trade fair. ‘We have been here since the beginning; the platform is extremely important for us. The trade fair was extremely successful – it offers us a double opportunity: on the one hand, we meet major buyers from different countries and, on the other, we make valuable contact with potential franchise partners via the corporate identity of our brand. We particularly appreciate being able to stand side by side with the designer brands that we ourselves greatly value.’ Nihat Onuk, Director International Business Development, Damat.

The kids’ area IFCO Kids doubled in size and presented itself with 40 children’s fashion manufacturers in Hall 8. Mukkader Özden, founder of Ozmoz, a brand specializing in ecologically produced baby clothing, confirms IFCO as a very successful event: ’IFCO is a very dynamic trade fair. We mainly had buyers from the Middle East, Russia and the Turkish Republics with us. By participating in B2B meetings, we were also able to make valuable contacts with buyers from countries such as the USA and Spain. The organization of the trade fair was a complete success. The buyers who attended showed great interest in our products and greatly appreciated their quality.’

The FashionIST area once again presented itself in its own areas in Halls 5-6 with a large selection of manufacturers of high-quality evening dresses and suits. Brands presented their current collections in the womenswear area in Halls 2 and 4, including denim and sportswear suppliers. Menswear was represented in Hall 8. The LinExpo lingerie & hosiery area occupied two halls in Halls 9 and 10.

Visitors

With 33,800 visitors, the seventh edition of IFCO continues to emphasise its relevance as an international hub for the fashion industry.  With a 42.1% share of international visitors, it recorded an increase of 5.3% compared to the February event last year. The event attracted high-calibre international buyers, including John Levis (UK) , J.P Boden& Co. Limited. (UK) , Liverpool Retail India Limited, Monsoon Brand Ltd. (UK), Nicoli Network Sl. (Spain), Aeon Co.(M ) BHD. (Malezia), Arıat (USA), LE ALFRE (USA), About You (Germany), Aritzia (Canada), Groupe Vanessa Bruno (France). All of these brands took advantage of the opportunities offered by the B2B meetings and networking opportunities at IFCO.

Supporting programme

IFCO’s collaboration with the renowned Fashion Designers’ Association (MTD), which played a key role in the organization of Istanbul Fashion Week, was continued for the design of the IFCO Trend Area. This year’s theme, MINDSCAPE, was creatively realized once again by the IMA- Istanbul Fashion Academia MINDSCAPE combines science and spirituality and shows how digital innovations deepen our understanding of mind and soul. The concept promotes personal growth and ecological awareness by combining modern data with traditional knowledge.

Sustainable materials and environmentally friendly processes are based on scientific findings and emphasize the connection between self-care and environmental protection. Mindscape creates a space for mindfulness and reflective fashion that is not only functional but also reflects personal values – a bridge between technology and inner balance.

The seminar program at IFCO informed about current topics such as Spring / Summer Trends 26 from WGSN; the influence of social media, online sales and AI on fashion marketing from the IUAD Naples Fashion Academy. The panel discussion on the fourth day of the trade fair focused on digitalization in the fashion industry with innovations, trends and applications in 2D, 3D and AI software.

The daily IFCO shows provided an impressive stage for trend-setting designs and set inspiring accents for the coming season.

IFCO: A global fashion Center with a visionary focus

‘Since its launch, IFCO has welcomed a total of 2,552 exhibitors and 153,000 visitors to an area of 160,533 square meters. At the seventh edition alone, we welcomed 33,788 guests from all over the world. Thanks to a diverse program with Fashionist and Linexpo, renowned brands for womenswear, menswear and kids wear, brands areas, trend areas, fashion shows and specialist seminars, the trade fair offered an experience that went far beyond expectations. We are proud to have achieved this within three years.’ Mustafa Paşahan, Vice President of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB) and IFCO Fair Executive Committee President.

Turkish Fashion Goes Green & Digital

Long before the European Union’s Green Deal came into focus, the industry was already making targeted investments in sustainable and digital solutions. The Turkish fashion industry plays a central role in the digital and sustainable transformation.

Our fashion industry is a pioneer in digital and green transformation. These two key factors have been at the center of our work for years. We are continuously developing projects, cooperating with ministries and the EU, and utilizing European Union- approved programs that specifically support this transformation. İHKİB is the leading organization in Türkiye when it comes to innovative projects for the dual transformation and the successful use of EU-supported programs,” continues Mustafa Paşahan.

The upcoming 8th edition of IFCO is scheduled to take place on August 20-22, 2025.

Next dates:

  • Texhibition Istanbul: March 5 – 7, 2025
  • IFCO Istanbul Fashion Connection: August 20 – 22, 2025

Further information:  www.ifco.com.tr
Instagram: @istanbulfashionconnection