The journey begins
Together with our agent Astrid, we fly from Cologne Airport to Turkey early in the morning.
Astrid has been working closely for years with the production facility in Istanbul that we intend to visit. She acts as the interface between us and the company and will accompany us throughout the entire trip and during the tours of the production halls.
Certified & experienced
Upon arriving in Istanbul, we are personally picked up at the airport by the general manager of our partner production facility. Having grown up in Aschaffenburg, he speaks perfect German and lives in Istanbul with his wife and two children. His lively and humorous personality makes the family man particularly likeable.
From the airport, we head directly to the production facility, which was founded in 1982 and remains owner-managed to this day. It is characterized by slow but steady growth and experiences hardly any staff turnover. It all began with the sale of knitting machines. For demonstration purposes, these were quickly put into operation, and the first knitted items were produced. Textile production was slowly built up, initially producing for the domestic market.
Today, the production facility exports almost 90% of its products to Europe. Everything is produced in-house, ensuring excellent quality. Besides LANIUS, many renowned natural textile companies are among its customers. The reasons for this, in addition to professional work, lie in its GOTS certification and auditing by the Fair Wear Foundation.
Stitch by stitch
Upon arriving at the building, we are greeted with a handshake by the doorman, who occasionally also performs small tasks on knitted items.
Our tour begins on the ground floor. This is where the knitting machines and the laundry are located.
On the first floor, women sit at the linking machines – the knitted pieces from the knitting machine are linked together to form a finished item. Stitch by stitch, they are connected with a thread. Turkish music plays alongside the sound of the machines, and the atmosphere is good but focused.
The finishing touches
Our tour continues on the first floor: first, we see how the finished garments are steamed and ironed. Then, the quality control staff examine each piece of clothing under a magnifying glass. Here and there, they snip off small threads or correct seams. In the final step, the inspected items are folded and neatly packaged.
The Mutfak – a meeting place
Past the second and third floors, where accounting, administration, and management offices are located, we arrive on the fourth floor and suddenly find ourselves in the middle of the "Mutfak": the light-filled cafeteria with a view of the water.
The approximately 100 employees of the production facility can have lunch here or occasionally take a tea break with traditional Turkish tea. We also receive a delicious, freshly prepared lunch here.
Collaboration with a panoramic view
After our break, we are led back to the third-floor showroom, where we will discuss the upcoming production of our knitwear with the General Manager and Astrid. In addition, we can jointly develop new items for the upcoming season.
From the showroom, we have an incredible view of a freshwater lake that flows into the Sea of Marmara. Every evening, at sunset, the sky and water turn red here.
Quitting time
We end the day in a traditional fish restaurant. We are accompanied by the general manager, his assistant, and one of the owner's three sons, who also works in the company.
Hardly have we sat down at the table when it is covered with a generous selection of appetizers. Gradually, we get to taste various fish specialties. A glass of raki, the Turkish national drink flavored with aniseed, is also a must.
Design begins with the selection of the yarn
After a restful night at the hotel, we will be picked up after breakfast on the terrace and driven back to the production facility.
We spend our second and unfortunately last day in Istanbul with the inspection of yarns and the development of new styles. At lunchtime, we went back to the Mutfak for lunch, where the owner also joined us again.
After this successful trip, we are even more pleased to have found a professional partner for our knitwear - of which we can proudly say: Made in Istanbul!
