Page 58 - TEXtalks. January-February 2023

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donation page on the Amazon Turkey website. Turkish fashion industry is mostly clustered
elsewhere, including Istanbul and Ankara where
The Ikea Foundation donated ten million euros to the major companies are based and garment and textile
emergency aid fund of Doctors Without Borders. The manufacturers located in Bursa, Izmir, and Denizli
focus of the committee is medical and psychological provinces, Gaziantep and other affected provinces in
help to support the people affected by the earth- neighboring regions are also significant for the sector.
quake. Without naming an amount, the luxury group
Kering also said it wanted to donate to the crisis According to a report by consulting firm Ikada, the
region and the people affected. Kering and all its origin of most Turkish textile exports in 2017 was
houses (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Istanbul province but badly hit Gaziantep and
Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Kahramanmaras provinces are secondary hubs for
Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, and Kering Eyewear) want the industry while the nearby provinces of Adana and
to make a joint donation to the International Commit- Kayseri also have significant manufacturing footprint.
tee of the Red Cross, the website of the group said. As part of their nearshoring efforts, global brands
have shifted more of their sourcing and production to
Meanwhile, the garment factories in the cities of countries like Turkey in recent years. H&M Group and
Malatya, Elazıg, and Sanliurfa are running again and Zara owner Index were among the many fashion
the impact on textile mills in Kahramanmaras and brands to contribute to the humanitarian crisis in the
Adiyaman is now ‘minor’, according to the Turkish country earlier this month.
Clothing Manufacturers Association. Infrastructure in
industrial zones was generally less impacted by this Turkey’s textile industry exported $16.2 billion in 2021
month’s earthquakes than in residential areas and and was the fifth largest supplier in the world, while
most plants are in relatively good condition, accord- the apparel industry exported $18.3 billion and was
ing to a statement released this week from Cem the fourth largest in the world.
The earthquake that devastated southeast Turkey warm clothing to the Turkish organization Red Altan, president of the International Apparel Federa-
and Syria triggered an unprecedented human Crescent for the humanitarian emergency. Hugo tion (IAF) and vice-chair of the Turkish Clothing Meanwhile, fashion brand Decathlon's first priority
tragedy. Turkey is one of the most important produc- Boss donated 250,000 euros via the HBFundation to Manufacturers Association (TGSD). On February 6, was to ensure that its 2,400 employees in Turkey
tion locations of the global fashion industry and many support local reconstruction. The company is also two major earthquakes shook southeast Turkey and were safe and sound and to give them all the support
brands have close ties there. providing practical help by supplying winter clothing northern Syria, resulting in more than 47,000 deaths they needed. “Three of our 42 shops in the country
and blankets, the company said. across both countries, according to Turkish Interior have been seriously impacted by this disaster."
The production center of fashion brands has largely Minister Suleyman Soylu. Decathlon employees in Turkey collected and sent
been spared by the earthquake probably because The H&M Group donated 100,000 US dollars to the materials to the affected areas, including warm
the production facilities were newly commissioned Turkish Civil Protection Agency AFAD. There will also “We are working with our members and stakeholders clothing and winter equipment, amounting to one
structures. However, the tragedy did not spare the be 500,000 dollars paid, split by the H&M Foundation to identify and fulfill actual needs in the region,” Altan million euros. In addition, Decathlon says it has set
workforce residing in the earthquake zone. The between the Red Cross/Red Crescent and Save the said. ”Short-term production cuts are inevitable, up a €1 million solidarity fund managed by the King
outlets in larger cities were not affected but workers Children to support their work in the region. The H&M however, all stakeholders are working together to Baudouin Foundation to support NGOs in the area.
in these outlets have relatives and dear ones that Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Swedish restart plants for social reasons as well as economic
were living in danger zones and had to rush to help fashion giant. The sporting goods manufacturer reasons.” Altan added that Turkey’s textile and H&M works with a hundred or so Turkish manufactur-
their families. Adidas and its workforce are collecting donations for garment industries will use extra capacity built in ers, has also donated warm clothing, and decided to
the earthquake victims and have announced that the 2021 and 2022 in the short term. For example, the provide financial aid of 930,000 euros to AFAD, while
The entire world stood up in support of the earth- company will double the donations made by the country boosted yarn and fabric production capacity the H&M Foundation has given 468,000 euros to the
quake victim but from the business enterprises, the workforce. by 25 percent last year thanks to new investments. Red Crescent and Save the Children associations.
fashion brands came up with all types of support not Consequently, capacity lost in areas affected by the The Scandinavian group has also ensured the safety
only for the victims but also provided all-out support The Danish Bestseller group, which includes Jack & hundreds of social development projects around the also donated clothing that was transported to the earthquakes is being replaced by capacity in other of its teams, as has Mango, which says that only one
to their workers. Almost every fashion brand provided Jones, Only, and Vero Moda, will supply clothing and world, with the new addition being earthquake relief affected region. cities outside the affected zone, such as Bursa, of its 1,300 Turkish employees is hospitalised.
cash and donated clothing for the earthquake other relief supplies to the crisis region. This includes in Turkey. Istanbul, Tekirdag, and Denizli. Mango's "social action" department has started
victims. The clothing was handed to the NGOs for more than 10,000 jackets, living containers, and British fashion retailer Marks & Spencer donated "sending clothes to the various areas affected by the
distribution to the victims. Initially, comparatively everyday necessities. Further help is to be imple- The UK's Boohoo Group has donated 100,000 50,000 pounds to the British Red Cross, which is The Turkish government has started to supply water, earthquakes", and donated 150,000 euros to the Red
smaller amounts were committed but after seeing the mented probably on a regular basis. The OTB pounds to the Turkish Red Crescent and has also working on-site. The dealer is also helping out with electricity, and natural gas to some affected cities Crescent.
enormity they continued increasing the cash for Foundation - the non-profit organization of the OTB held four sample sales, 100 percent of the proceeds warm clothing, which is to be distributed locally via and airports have resumed operations. Temporary
rehabilitation. Group, which includes the brand's Diesel, Maison of which have been donated. In addition, 100 boxes the franchise partners. Amazon dispatched the first communities made of containers are being built Finally, the Italian group OTB, owner of brands such
Margiela, Marni, Viktor & Rolf, Jil Sander, Amiri, and with warm clothing are said to be on their way to the truckload of relief supplies from its center in Istanbul. around industrial zones to deter labor migration. The as Diesel and Marni, says it is providing support
The Spanish fashion group Inditex, which includes the companies Staff International and Brave Kid, is crisis region. The Spanish fashion chain Mango Goods donated included heaters and blankets. The epicenter of the first earthquake was near Gaziantep, through the OTB Foundation, which has already been
Zara, Bershka, and Pull&Bear, announced that it had calling for donations via its website on. The founda- donated three million Turkish Lira (around 150,000 goods were sent to the city of Hatay, one of the most a Turkish city of more than two million people in the supporting the UNHCR (United Nations refugee
donated three million euros and 500,000 pieces of tion has been active since 2008 and supports euros) to the Turkish Red Crescent. The company affected regions. In addition, Amazon has set up a country’s Southeastern Anatolia Region. Though the agency) for several years.
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