President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan''s spouse Emine Erdoğan made the opening of "Bohça" which is common brand of advanced technical schools for girls and "Advanced Technical Academy for Girls.

 

Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk and his spouse Rana Selçuk, Parliament Speaker  

Mustafa Şentop's spouse Sabriye Şentop, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Deputy Minister of Commerce Rıza Tuna Turagay, Beyoğlu Mayor Haydar Ali Yıldız, İstanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya's spouse Hatice Nur Yerlikaya, Director General for Lifelong Learning Yusuf Büyük and TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle were also present at the opening ceremony.

 

Mrs. Erdoğan visited and examined handmade products which are put on sale at the Bohça store, received information from the officials and then visited the Arts and Design Library and Handcraft workshop of the school. Mrs. Erdoğan also chatted with master students.

 

Noting that doors of the Beyoğlu Advanced Technical School for Girls were opened in 1945 and the school was embraced by the public as if it was a national matter, Mrs. Erdoğan expressed her belief that Turkish handicrafts will make a great impact in the world.

 

Mrs. Erdoğan pointed out that these advanced technical schools for girls are remembered as the "miracle of the Turkish needle" adding that "Now, we are taking a further step in the same path with a renewed corporate identity and new brand. We are opening a hundred years old "bohça" (bundle). This brand is an important mission for the reproduction of our handicrafts, patterns, fabrics and original designs. I sincerely believe that our brand will be the center of attention both in the country and abroad." 

 

Emine Erdoğan went on to say that "Advanced Technical Academy for Girls will give the opportunity to raise master craftswomen in this historical building. The academy will cooperate with designers and blend traditional crafts with modern ideas and techniques. I sincerely believe that this academy will manage to complete the desired corporate transformation of advanced technical schools for girls and will witness the birth of new, local and national brands."

 

In addition to renowned business figures and designers such as Demet Sabancı, Nilüfer Bulut, Arzu Kaprol, Ferhan Geylan, Banu Yentür and Suzan Toplusoy, models who are known to display the designs of the school in fashion shows such as Nedret Taciroğlu and Başak Gülsoy attended the opening ceremony.

 

Following the opening ceremony, the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of National Education signed a protocol in an effort to increase the international recognition of the brand.

 

The first advanced technical school for girls was opened in 1945 in Beyoğlu İstiklal Street and the number of these schools increased to 24 in years but their corporate capacity decreased in time.

 

Corporate transformation project for these schools were initiated under the auspicious of Emine Erdoğan in order to blend traditional handicrafts with contemporary designs. An advisory broad comprising of designers, academicians and renowned names from the fashion world closely monitored the schools and detected needs and shortcomings.

 

Expert names such as Banu Yentür, Suzan Toplusoy, Büşra Cebeci, Rümeysa Kış, Prof. Dr. Hülya Tezcan, Serap Ekizler Sönmez and Özen Çopuroğlu were among the members of advisory board. As a result of the study, the board set out a corporate transformation manifest.

 

They organized various different training programs and cooperated with designers. As a result of two yearlong transformation process, products of these schools were collected under the brand of "Bohça."

 

Products were designed according to "simplification, qualified originality, renovation and compatibility with culture" criteria defined in the corporate transformation manifest. Patterns and motifs used in the products are Turkish designs derived from the archives of these schools and these products have high market value.

 

Home accessories, textile, accessories and jewelry as well as cloths are among the product range of the Bohça brand.

 

Income of the store will be used for increasing education capacities of advanced technical schools for girls and educating young designers. It is expected that Bohça will play a major role in promoting Turkish handicrafts abroad. For the first time in the history of the Republic, these schools will market their own products with their brand in the national and international markets.

 

Since their establishment, teaching handicrafts to young students and raising qualified labor force for respected brands in the sector were among the main goals of these schools. With a similar motivation, branding process aims at maintaining sustainability in design training and graduating qualified students who will be employed in the leading brands in the market.

 

Within this framework, income from the store will be used for students and allow them to attend national and international design training programs. Moreover, graduates will be employed in the Bohça store and production process of brand, too.  This will allow increasing the quality of workforce, product variety and quality as well as educating and employing graduates of these schools.

 

Transformation of advanced technical school for girls is an ongoing story. One of the main principles of the transformation process is constant transformation in a dynamic process. Within the context of the new vision of these schools "Advanced Technical Academy for Girls" were founded as a part of construction and Beyoğlu advanced technical school gained an academic identity.

 

The academy provides a new vision and working standards for teachers, students and craftswomen in all advanced technical schools and plays a major role in increasing the quality of human resources. With this purpose, famous designers and expert academicians will give training programs in different fields to students and teachers.

 

The academy will also work in an effort to update the education program of these schools and provide compatibility with the needs of the sector.

 

Another important step as a part of the academy project is the Arts and Design Library founded under the roof of Beyoğlu Advanced Technical School for Girls.  

 

There are valuable works that have national and international importance in the library. The doors of the library are open to all students and researchers.