Understanding Is The Solution: A simple philosophy drawn from complexities

By Cengiz Dana

Cengiz Dana grew up in the fashion industry. In this book, he shares stories of people who have made a name for themselves in the industry, both good and bad. Some of these people have passed away, but their legacies live on through their brands and companies. Others are still working in the industry today, and their actions may surprise and shock readers.
One of the central themes of this book is the human cost of fashion. Cengiz challenges readers to think about the history of the brands they wear and the people who make their clothing. He also explores the complex supply chains and labor practices that are often hidden from view. By shedding light on these issues, Cengiz hopes to encourage readers to be more mindful and conscious consumers.
Despite the challenges and obstacles that he faced, Cengiz managed to survive and thrive in the fashion industry. He developed a philosophy based on empathy and understanding, which helped him to navigate the complexities of the industry and maintain his integrity. This philosophy "Understanding Is the Solution" is a central theme of the book, and readers will learn how it evolved over time as Cengiz encountered new challenges and experiences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350935110

Book preview

Introduction

My name is Cengiz Dana, I was born on 29th November 1952 in Tepebasi, Istanbul. When my sister, Oya, was born fifteen months before me. Years later I learned that I wasn't the first child. It was surprising for my father to hear the news, and I was told that he dropped the phone because he had been anticipating the arrival of a son. When I came into this world, my father faced a different predicament - I was so big that my mother couldn't deliver me naturally, and the doctors informed my father that a cesarean section was not possible. He had to choose between my mother and me. It was clear that he had underestimated my determination, as despite the numerous challenges, I made the decision to ensure my mother's survival. After enduring several hours of labor, she successfully delivered me, a healthy and robust son weighing 5.6kg. Four years later, with a lot less drama, my younger brother Emin was born and our family was complete.

Tepebasi, where I lived until I was 11 years old was an eclectic mix of cultures and ideas. It was a blend of old and new where various religions existed side by side. Everyone was living their own life and was respectful to each other. As far as we were aware at that time, there was no racial or religious discrimination. If it existed, I wasn’t aware. Nevertheless, at the age of eleven, our family relocated to Merter, a different neighborhood. In this new environment, our neighbors held greater influence and were more conservative. As children, we were not particularly aware of these differences, but our mother underwent a significant transformation. She began wearing a veil and fully embraced the practices of Islam.

I finished secondary school at the age of sixteen but my father wanted me to continue my studies. Turkey, at that time, was a political mess. Students from the left and students from the right of politics were killing each other in university. Despite my father’s protestations, I refused to continue studying. He wanted me to get a good education because he hadn’t, but two of my uncles had. One was my mother’s brother, Giyasettin Karaca, who spent 24 years in Ankara, the political capital of Turkey. He was in a group of representatives from different cities in Turkey who represented the interests of the people there, serving for 8 years as the Minister of Internal Affairs in Demirel’s Democratic Party. Although he became well-known and prominent in national politics later, at that time, he was serving as the Deputy Mayor of Erzurum, a large city where my mother originated. Her father, Apdurrahman Karaca, had been the mayor. Another of her brothers, my uncle Sevket, had done very well at school and was now the manager of a local bank. Both earned good salaries and this was what my father hoped for me to eventually achieve.

My paternal grandfather passed away two months prior to my father's birth. He was fighting in the First World War and was in Ataturk’s personal group of fighters when he was killed in action. From the moment that happened, my father’s family came under the personal care of Ataturk. My father’s older brother was taken to work in the Dolmabahce Palace, which is also known as the White Palace. A few years later, when he was about 12 or 13, my father went to work with his brother and started working in the kitchens within the Palace where Ataturk lived. During that time, he got to know Ataturk very well. The great man would enjoy drinking Raki every night and often would find himself in the kitchens with my father late in the evening. He would always come to eat food after his working day and that was when my father got to know him as a man, rather than as the great leader that he was. During this time, my father learned from Ataturk how to prepare lamb meat with beans the way he loved it. My father learned so well that whenever Ataturk wanted to enjoy his favorite meal, it was always my father who would prepare it for him. My father had many pictures of Ataturk in his gardens, some of them with important dignitaries, taken during this period. In 1938, when Ataturk passed away (from cirrhosis of the liver, caused by all the raki he loved so much) my father was in his early thirties and already an accomplished chef. Because he was no longer needed in the Palace, he was sent to work with a man I only know as Ilyas but who was the most famous chef in Turkey at that time. When the Istanbul Hilton opened in 1955, I was just a baby and my father was selected as one of the three chefs by Conrad Hilton. My father became such a well-known chef that he was selected to represent Turkey several times in what was then, the world’s most prestigious culinary competition, the Zurich Escoffier Grand Prix. By this time, my father was also earning a similar income to his brothers-in-law, the government minister, and the banker.

So, my father, without a university education but with training from a great chef, as well as a philosophy created by spending so much time with great men, was doing very well. I thought I might be able to do the same and didn’t need a university education to do it.

My mother’s youngest brother, Cevdet Karaca was a man I admired very much. Like my father he didn’t study but he was extremely interested and active in fashion. He had built a business on Beyoglu Mesrutuyet Caddesi, the fashion center of Istanbul. It was a factory called Karaca Konfeksiyon. The factory specialized in designing, drawing, and producing some of the country’s top fashion shops at the time. He worked with all the major fashion brands such as Nail Yurdukal, Faize & Sedim. These names, some of which are long forgotten, were the icons of the time and I was keen to become involved in such a wonderful trade. My father though, had different ideas. Through his many contacts in Turkey’s elite society, he found me a job in the MAN truck factory. Because of his and therefore my relationship with Mr. Semih, the owner, they treated me like a VIP, introducing me to all the managers in many different offices but finally took me to the gearbox repair section in the building to the left of the entrance of the big factory. They told me I would start here and learn everything. My father had planned for me to go there, learn a trade, and become something I didn’t want to be. I went, but resigned after only 15 days, earning the wrath of my father but the support of my uncle, who offered me a place in his factory. To this day, I have never regretted that decision.

Life wasn’t as easy as I had hoped. I needed to prove myself to my uncle and my workmates, and I certainly didn’t get an easy ride. Firstly, with my uncle, I learned stitching. What my uncle didn’t know was that I was going back to the factory after hours and learning to sew on the machines. I studied drawing, and pattern design, I learned how to iron and sew. I needed to learn cutting and finishing and understand the manufacturing processes as well as quality control. Within two years, I had covered it all.

After I left working with my uncle, he introduced me to Hakan and Evin, both famous shops on the most popular shopping street and I spent some time working in both of them. On seeing that I had learned so much and become so accomplished in the industry, I found that I had earned my father’s trust. My father, who as we know was very well connected, and had started to believe I had some promise in the industry, then introduced me to Vitali Hakko. I went to work in Vakko. To say that Vakko was a shop would be an understatement. The name Vakko and fashion in Turkey were synonymous. It was the largest department store in Turkey with seven floors of fashion. Although there was only one shop in Istanbul, it has since become one of the largest Turkish fashion retailers with many outlets throughout Turkey and some in other countries too. Getting this job was a lot more complicated than it seemed. I needed an introduction to Viatali Hakko, the owner. He interviewed all the staff in his head office, which is in a factory, and they not only needed to come from a good family, but they also needed an excellent work ethic and a solid reputation to get a job. My interview lasted more than half an hour and I was offered a job. I hope it was because of who I am, not because my father catered for all the major weddings and parties and knew Mr. Hakko personally, nor because my father recommended me. By the time I was 19 years old, I was enjoying being a part of the fashion industry in Turkey and, from selling men’s clothes on the fourth floor of Vakko, I moved to be in charge of six fashion salespeople, I was learning a lot.

At this time, I also came to know the film producer, Hideyat Pelit, a particularly good friend of my uncle Cevdet. Hideyat was known as being one of Turkey’s best filmmakers. My uncle and Hideyat had served in the military together and then Hideyat traveled to the US after their service. His 1971 movie Kanli Define, had a real Turkish movie star, Ahmet Mekin, in the lead role but I was also in the movie as a supporting actor. Acting wasn’t a full-time job for me but I was good at it and was invited to play a part in the movie Pelit Films would make once Kanli Define wrapped up. I can’t remember the name of the movie; it was something to do with The Streets of Istanbul or something like that but I don’t remember because after the work on the movie started, about two weeks into filming I left the set, Pelit didn’t want to pay me so I walked out and that was the end of my acting career.

All boys in Turkey needed to sign up for military service and being free from the film set allowed me to do that. That also didn’t last long.

In 1973, as a young man, I took a break. I was incredibly lucky. My national service time had arrived but I am not a person who wants to serve in the military… I don’t ever want to shoot or kill another human. I guess I could be called a conscientious objector or a pacifist, I was very much against war. I was lucky because my father had some connections, he knew almost every important person in Turkey through his job as a chef. I found out that the military doctor knew my father. In my first few days, he asked me to come to the medical office and asked me if I was the son of the Chef, Dana. I am, and so, I don’t know if my father ever knew I did this, I explained my views to the doctor who then found a reason to declare me unfit to serve. So, after only 15 days I was dismissed from the army and I was free. I wasn’t able to work as an actor anymore, I was about 20 years old, and so I was able to do whatever I wanted.

I had a powerful desire to explore more of the world in order to gain more experiences. I was also under a lot of pressure because of religion. My mother and many of her friends became deeply religious, and even my friends of my own generation were putting me under pressure. I think if you are a Christian and you don’t hold to your religion, it’s ok, but if you are a Muslim, people will think there is something wrong. Pressure from all sides made me want to do something different. I felt that I had seen all of Turkey and knew Istanbul too well. I didn’t like the political situation at the time and felt compelled to get more experience. So, I went on a European tour with my friend, Levent. We had planned to go to London and travel by ferry from Ostend in Belgium, but when we arrived in Dover, we were taken into a room by the immigration officers and interviewed for a long time. They felt we were spies or some kind of threat and so, we were eventually put back on the boat and returned to Ostend. We were planning to head back to Istanbul and, since it was a night ferry, we decided not to bother going to bed. We went to a discotheque instead and we met two nice girls. They were Dutch and were traveling to Holland the next day, so Levent and I traveled with them. Amsterdam in the early seventies was a wonderful place. I loved it and decided to stay longer.

This was a time I got very lucky. I was in a coffee shop and met another Turkish guy, Adem Sahin, who was moving from a small workshop to a larger shop and didn’t need the small shop anymore. He gave me the opportunity to use the workshop, which was like a small factory, and pay the rent when the income started to come in. Although I would often work with him and help him in some way, we didn’t do much business together. I found good workers, and better suppliers, and negotiated better prices. Despite this, Adem and I remained great friends for many years.

Using all the skills I’d learned from my uncle, and in a place where I didn’t need to make immediate payments, I opened my first workshop in August 1973. In a brief period of time, I was making about 2,000 pieces a week, selling things with my own label and other labels in the Fashion Centre in Amsterdam. It was an enjoyable time; I worked hard and made enough money for a reasonable lifestyle. During this time, I also met another genuinely nice lady, Maria Admiraal, who would become my first wife within two years. It was a time of great freedom with income from the workshop, fashion designs being bought by some big names and, although I could never call myself rich, there was enough money to do what we enjoyed, which was traveling. We both loved the Canary Islands and went there four times in a brief period of time. Within a couple of years, we decided to sell what we had built in Holland and move to Gran Canaria. We stayed in Playa Del Ingles, a beach that is still to this day, renowned for being a young person’s getaway.

I negotiated for the purchase of a Wimpy Bar there. Most English people of my generation, and older, will remember Wimpy Bars. They were the competitors of McDonald’s, with great burgers, French fries, and other meals which kids loved. But during the negotiations phase, the parent company declared bankruptcy leaving me without a career. We focused on the fashion business selling products made in my own workshop in Gran Canaria. However, after four and a half years away, we returned to Holland where I finally broke up with Maria.

I met another lady, Liesbeth, and we spent a great deal of happy times together. When I met her, she was working for KLM, the Royal Dutch Airlines, and held a particularly significant role – she was one of the Royal Stewardesses, which means the particularly important passengers, including the Dutch Royal Family, would be taken care of by her. Liesbeth remains a great friend of mine to this day. Her brother Pieter had a son, Floris, who was a source of boundless joy to me. I was his favorite uncle and he was my favorite nephew. Much later, when I was living in China, I approached him with an offer to come and work with me. He had been a university student for more than 12 years but had never graduated. Just like me when I was younger, he enjoyed fashion much more than he enjoyed studying. He came to work with me on my own label, Just Me and Mine (JMM) and he was a very fast learner. Now, I am living and working in China and our current brand, which we changed from JMM to Florez is a collaboration with him.

I came to China permanently in 2002 but had been traveling a lot in China to develop my own brand over the preceding two years. I realized that I could produce better products if I came to live in China, so I moved here permanently. At that time, the opportunities were great, the suppliers and the staff were cheaper but maintained high quality. About 10 years ago, I met Laura and we married. Now we have two sons, Kubilay and Atila who are 10 and 9 years old, respectively. Working with Floris, we launched our brand Florez, which has become one of the most popular brands in Holland, selling in the best multi-label stores in Holland. In recent years, we have attended the Amsterdam Fashion Exhibition and have been selected as one of the four most beautiful and innovative contemporary brands.

More than 50 years ago when I started in this industry we didn’t think about the environment; no one did, but now I feel compelled to create products that respect nature.

This has been the flow of my life. I’ve always been productive, always remained positive, and have always been a fighter – I’m still fighting and still positive. People do the wrong thing to me, I won’t get as angry or upset as I used to, I don’t take them too seriously. When I make a mistake through my own inexperience, I take the lessons I’ve learned and I grow from that experience. Sometimes I lose myself in anger or frustration and I turn to my God and apologize. I try to understand how I made the mistake and learn some truth.

One of my ways of handling problems is to deal with them. I deal with the problem by not sleeping, analyzing the problem, talking about it, and handling it before I allow myself to sleep. Sometimes this might be one or two days, and occasionally even more. But it’s how I manage things. Many people say: if you have a problem, sleep on it. I’m the opposite; if I have a problem I won’t sleep, I think it’s what keeps me younger and what keeps me healthy. I honestly believe if I sleep on a problem, the problem will cause me health issues and I might even die from it. So, an important part of my life is how I handle problems, always making sure the problem is resolved before I can rest. Throughout my life, I’ve had many occasions where I’ve gone several days without sleep and I’m going to share some of them in the following pages.

I’ve learned that we all make mistakes but understanding that we do