Burcu Yıldız: I design my collections by creating stories

Burcu Yıldız studied fashion design at the university to develop her interest in the art of painting since her childhood. She blends her painting talent and fashion design together with a unique style; design art. She creates her own brand by drawing styles on fabrics.
ZEYNEP PEHLİVAN
İzmir- There is a radical transformation in the design world due to digital development. This transformation especially increases the communication among different disciplines. Burcu Yıldız, who has full knowledge of the new dynamics of the design era, is a young talented artist combining her artistic talents with her fashion and textile designs. She also has a studio called “Burcu Yıldız Art Gallery”. Burcu has been getting popular with her fashion designs and she represents Turkey in this field abroad. Drawing is a kind of meditation in which she expresses her emotions in a certain rhythm.
Although Burcu has been passionate about painting since her childhood, she wanted to study fashion design at university, “I wanted to learn how to design, and to combine it with painting, and then to create my own brand.” Immediately after graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at the Izmir University of Economics, she managed to create her own brand. Then she participated in many national and international fairs by preparing successful collections. She also managed to cooperate with international brands. She is the only person working on design art in İzmir province.
“Currently, I work on pattern design. There are many people abroad working on pattern design but there is no one in İzmir. When we mention “fashion design” all people first think of fashion houses. In this area, people focus on evening dresses or wedding dresses. I would particularly like young people who will graduate from universities to focus on the design if they have an interest in drawing. I create illustrations, write scripts, and then draw them. Then, I make final arrangements in my drawing by using fashionable colors and styles. My drawings are then printed on silk fabrics. Finally, they are exhibited at fairs where buyers find them and take them to the stores.”
There is a story in her drawings
Stories are important in arts. The power and magic of stories used in artistic works show us actually the arts are narrators. Burcu said, “I care and love to observe people all the time. I try to get inspiration from myself, the world around me, and nature. While doing this, I dream a scenario and then write a story. I spend a lot of time fictionalizing and narrating the stories. I can say that seventy percent of my design process is forming stories. The remained percent is about production. The production phase consists of choosing the right fabric, color. I try to draw my scenario. I try to create my own style in my designs. This is a very sweet and difficult job. Obviously, we need to work hard and keep our eyes open all the time. Before we had to join fairs to show our design art but now we don’t need to go anywhere thanks to digital developments. I suggest my young colleagues keep working. They will surely experience some failures but the important thing is to be able to overcome obstacles; not giving up.”