Women’s collaboration for the enhancement of craft culture in contemporary Turkey

The contemporary fashion system that has been shaped by the global economy provides fast consumables that are the products of a monocultural vision of design. In this system, cultural references, historical and ecological considerations and the notion of quality are ignored. The structure of fast fashion not only perpetuates an identity of women that is homogeneous and deprived of a sense of belonging, but it also creates this identity. Moreover, mechanization and mass production have led to the extinction of a great variety of traditional crafts because the adaptation of pattern, ornament or weaving techniques, indigenous to a particular culture, necessitates simplification for industrial production. In this way they are not only simplified technically, but their cultural meanings are also trivialized. As a result these crafts are no longer passed down to future generations. Disengagement from craft practices causes a cultural misidentification of both consumers and artisans. Placing emphasis on craft culture can prevent the devaluation of these cultural products, especially in economically emerging countries such as Turkey, where a lack of industrialization can become advantageous for the advancement of craft through the integration of local knowledge and labour. This article emphasizes the necessity of institutions, organizations and individuals in the preservation of craft and the handmade. In this regard the Aegean town of Ödemis¸ has been selected as a case study. In 2011, seven women entrepreneurs established Ödemis¸ Women’s Cooperative and built an atelier to support womens’ engagement with crafting. The textiles of Ödemis¸ are the products of a multicultural history. Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Selcuk, Ottoman and Turkish transitions have intensely affected the production methods of textiles in the region and have created a unique identity. Colouring methods are as old as the Byzantine Empire, and for more than 1000 years silk weaving and crochet have remained the major source of living for the women of Ödemis¸. This article will reveal the relationship between cultural identity and craft, emphasize the impact of women’s craft practice in this context and assess the importance of the atelier as a collaborative workspace.