Europe’s largest bridal and eveningwear fair, IF Wedding Fashion İzmir, was held last week at fuarizmir, featuring commercial meetings, fashion shows, runway presentations, and special events. The fair, where numerous business agreements were signed and which opened a strong trade gateway for the sector, hosted a total of 25,027 professional visitors—20,073 domestic visitors from 75 provinces of Türkiye and 4,954 international visitors from 98 countries. Chamber presidents and sector representatives evaluated the fair’s impact on the economy and the industry.
The 16th IF Wedding Fashion İzmir – Bridal, Groom and Eveningwear Fair was organized between 22–25 November 2022, hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and organized by İZFAŞ in partnership with the Aegean Clothing Manufacturers Association (EGSD). The fair brought together 223 exhibitors from Türkiye and 10 countries, representing bridalwear, eveningwear, menswear, accessories, and children’s wear. Professionals from 98 countries worldwide and 75 cities across Türkiye attended the event. In parallel with the fair, Buyer Delegation Organizations were also held with the support of the Ministry of Trade, in cooperation with the İzmir Chamber of Commerce and the Aegean Exporters’ Associations.
Held for the 16th time in İzmir—Türkiye’s gateway to the world with 8,500 years of history—the fair drew attention not only with its wide product range but also with its runway shows, competitions, and performances that turned it into an international fashion festival. Designs that will shape 2023 fashion trends were showcased for the first time at the fair.
Emphasizing that they are determinedly pursuing İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer’s vision of making İzmir a city of fairs, İZFAŞ General Manager Canan Karaosmanoğlu Alıcı stated:
“IF Wedding Fashion İzmir is Europe’s largest fashion fair. We are proud to host this continuously growing fair in İzmir. This year, we welcomed 223 exhibitors from all product groups, over 20,000 domestic professional visitors from 75 provinces, nearly 5,000 international visitors from 98 countries, and numerous buyer delegations.
Türkiye has become an important supplier in bridalwear and eveningwear in recent years, with exports exceeding 1 billion dollars, approximately 70% of which is produced in İzmir. In addition to bridalwear, wedding apparel such as eveningwear and groom suits is exported worldwide, especially to Europe and the Middle East.
For 16 years, our fair has brought together global representatives of this continuously developing sector in İzmir, contributing to the formation of a strong fashion economy. The sector strengthens the fair, and the fair advances the sector year by year. Runway shows and events also add great color to our fair. Through the 13th Bridal Design Competition, organized with EGSD, we continue to introduce young designers to the industry. I sincerely thank all our exhibitors, sector representatives, stakeholders, and supporters. As with all our fairs, we will continue to grow the sector, support exports by promoting it internationally, and contribute to the city’s economy through the synergy created by thousands of participants and visitors.”
Mahmut Özgener, Chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, noted that the fair has become one of the most important global meeting points for the sector:
“As the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, our goal is to strengthen, diversify, and expand the international connections of İzmir-based manufacturers, who are among the most important players in the bridal, eveningwear, and menswear sectors.
In line with this goal, we organized a Buyer Delegation Program simultaneously with IF Wedding Fashion İzmir, with the support of the Ministry of Trade and in cooperation with İZFAŞ. Over three days, 14 member companies held 220 bilateral meetings with buyers from 9 countries. These highly productive meetings will act as a lever for increasing our sector’s international recognition and branding.
We see fairs as one of İzmir’s most important growth dynamics and therefore continue to enhance our support for member participation. We hope İzmir, the city of fairs, will continue to host many successful events with the contributions of all stakeholders.”
Ender Yorgancılar, Chairman of the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, stated:
“IF Wedding Fashion İzmir is one of the largest fashion fairs in the world and continues to be our pride internationally. By bringing together domestic and international sector representatives, it creates employment, generates exports, and earns foreign currency. With its qualified workforce and high-quality production, İzmir represents Türkiye on the global stage in the best possible way.
In an era marked by transformation—where innovation, creativity, personalized production, and design are at the forefront—every innovative step taken by the sector will make the next step stronger and more successful.”
Burak Sertbaş, Chairman of the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association, said:
“IF Wedding Fashion İzmir has become a brand fair, hosting over 20,000 visitors annually from around the world. İzmir alone accounts for 70% of Türkiye’s bridalwear production, exporting globally, especially to Europe and the Middle East.
This year, with the support of the Ministry of Trade, we organized a three-day buyer delegation program covering bridalwear, groom suits, eveningwear, children’s eveningwear, and accessories. 18 companies held nearly 200 meetings with 51 buyers from 10 countries, including Germany, France, the UK, and Italy.
With new trade connections, we aim to increase Türkiye’s global market share in bridalwear, suits, and eveningwear from 4% to 10%.”
Zekeriya Mutlu, Chairman of the İzmir Union of Tradesmen and Craftsmen Chambers, emphasized that the fair contributes to the entire city economy, from hotels and restaurants to transportation and retail, while Skål İzmir Chairman Güner Güney highlighted that hotel occupancy reached 100% during the fair period, creating significant value for tourism.
Abdullah Salkım, Chairman of the Fashion Textile and Apparel Industrialists and Businesspeople Association, concluded:
“IF Wedding Fashion İzmir has become a global brand not only as a fair but also through its competitions and runway shows. The strong cooperation among institutions is a key factor behind this success. Each year, the fair grows further in terms of exhibitors, area, and business volume.”