One of Europe’s largest fashion fairs, IF Wedding Fashion İzmir – Bridal, Groom and Evening Wear Fair, opened its doors with a grand ceremony. Held for the 18th time, the fair—continuing to grow each year and bringing together industry representatives and leading figures—will welcome visitors at fuarizmir between November 19–22. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Levent Yıldır stated, “IF Wedding Fashion İzmir – Bridal, Groom and Evening Wear Fair is an organization that has long proven its success. İzmir’s pioneering role in the sector plays a major part in this achievement.”
Hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and organized by İZFAŞ in partnership with the Aegean Clothing Manufacturers Association (EGSD), IF Wedding Fashion İzmir opened its doors for the 18th time in İzmir, the capital of fashion and bridal wear. The opening ceremony of the fair—featuring evening wear, bridal gowns, groom wear, accessories and children’s wear—was attended by Deputy Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Zafer Levent Yıldır, CHP İzmir Provincial Chair Şenol Aslanoğlu, Chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce Mahmut Özgener and his wife Ayşe Özgener, Mayor of Konak Nilüfer Çınarlı Mutlu, Mayor of Gaziemir Ünal Işık, Chairman of the Board of EGSD Hayati Ertuğrul, Chairman of the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association Burak Sertbaş, Secretary General of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the İZFAŞ Board Ramazan Tezcan, prominent figures of the fashion industry, as well as domestic and international professionals.
Emphasizing İzmir’s strong position in the bridal and evening wear sector, Deputy Mayor Dr. Zafer Levent Yıldır said:
“IF Wedding Fashion İzmir – Bridal, Groom and Evening Wear Fair is an organization that has long proven its maturity. İzmir’s leading role in the sector has a significant impact here. Türkiye is one of Europe’s largest bridal gown manufacturers. The sector largely consists of small and medium-sized enterprises, and 70% of them operate in İzmir. Türkiye’s bridal gown exports exceed USD 1 billion, and İzmir accounts for 70% of this export volume—competing with fashion-leading countries such as France, Italy and Spain. This strong position is made possible by İzmir’s producers. The shops in the historic Kemeraltı Bazaar show us the path connecting us to Europe. All of them are highly valuable. The fair further strengthens our city’s decisive position in the sector and its international competitiveness.”
Within the scope of IF Wedding Fashion İzmir—shaping the direction of international fashion—the winners of the 15th Bridal Gown Design Competition were announced during the opening-day fashion show. In the competition themed “Return to the Roots,” award-winning designers not only took confident steps into the sector but also received special prizes.
The first-place designer, Öztürk Yıkılmaz, received his award from Deputy Mayor Dr. Zafer Levent Yıldır and Chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce Mahmut Özgener, earning TRY 75,000 and the right to stage a Performance Fashion Show at IF Wedding Fashion İzmir 2025. The second-place award of TRY 50,000 was presented to Habibe Çakır by EGSD Chairman Hayati Ertuğrul, while Eren Timoçin, who placed third, received TRY 25,000 from Burak Sertbaş, Chairman of the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association. The award presenters emphasized the importance of design in the sector and stated that they would continue to support young talents.
The “Persephone” Performance Fashion Show by Sercan İzci, winner of last year’s competition, which offers young designers the opportunity to present their first professional runway shows, will also be presented to designers, exhibitors and visitors.
The fair will host professional visitors from many countries, ranging from Germany to Italy, Sweden to the United States, the United Arab Emirates to Russia and the Turkic republics. Featuring colorful runway shows showcasing 2025 fashion trends, with designs by renowned brands and emerging talents, IF Wedding Fashion İzmir will also make a significant contribution to the sector and exports through cooperation agreements.
World-famous fashion designer Randy Fenoli, producer and host of the popular American reality show “Say Yes to the Dress,” which is also broadcast in Türkiye, took part in IF Wedding Fashion İzmir both with his designs and as an honorary jury member of the 15th Bridal Gown Design Competition.