Salvador Dali inspires fashion

Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Textile and Fashion Design Student Melek Nur Yüksel, student at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Department of Textile and Fashion Design won third place in the Junioshow Baby and Children's Clothing Young Designers Competition with a special collection she designed for boys aged 3-4. Inspired by the famous painter Salvador Dalí, her collection, titled ‘Dali Beach’, earned her a prize of 15 thousand TL and the right to apply for a scholarship abroad.

The competition, organized by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) with the support of the Ministry of Trade, was once again filled with excitement this year. Melek Nur Yüksel, a third-year textile and fashion design student at IUE, participated in the competition under the theme ‘Gerçeküstü Hayal Et, Sorumlu Üret’ (Imagine Surreal, Produce Responsibly), presenting healthy and natural designs free of synthetic materials.

"MAKING IT FUN FOR CHILDREN"

Explaining that she was inspired by Salvador Dalí and aimed to make his paintings more enjoyable for children through special clothing designs, Yüksel said, “I created a summer collection for boys aged 3-4. My designs featured prints, appliqués, and embroidery. In my 14-piece collection, I mainly used organic cotton fabrics. Since Dalí was a painter, I designed the fabric patterns based on brushstrokes. The clothes also incorporated figures from Dalí's paintings. In some designs, in addition to the paintings, I included images of animals that children would love.”

“A NEW DIRECTION FOR MY CAREER”

Mentioning that she applied to the competition upon the guidance of her university instructor, Angela Burns, Yüksel said, “This award has further strengthened my confidence and belief in my ability to achieve success. I also feel proud to bring such an accomplishment to my University. Before applying for the competition, I had never considered working in children's fashion. I always thought I would design collections for men or women. However, this competition changed my perspective and gave my career a new direction because I truly enjoyed working on children's designs. In the future, I hope to work in the children's division of a major brands or even start my own brand.”

“I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE LIKE MY SISTER”

Stating that she was inspired by her older sister, who studied fashion and textile design and is now a designer at a major textile brand, Yüksel said, “When I was about 6-7 years old and in second grade, my sister was studying at university. I was always fascinated by her drawings. Watching her ignited my passion for fashion at a very young age. Even before I could read or write, I was drawing pictures all over the house. Seeing my sister study fashion design made me think, ‘Yes, I want to study this too.’ Since then, I have always said, ‘I will be a fashion designer,’ and thankfully, I have achieved that dream. Taking my sister as a role model and my passion for fashion design have led me to win this award. I am very happy about it.”