Woven for the World

We arrive at our destination in the heart of the old city: the headquarters of Kutnia, a company producing the rare kutnu fabrics that are unique to this region. Alighting at a 15th-century building known as Afife Hanım Konağı, crafted by architects during the Ottoman era, we are shown to the lunch table for a home-cooked alınazık – a signature kebab dish prepared with puréed aubergine. Here, the Kutnia team discusses its latest showcase at Milan Design Week. It was the brand's first big splash in the city and all are proud of their installation, titled “Weaving Inside Out”, which featured the flagship colours and patterns of Kutnia wrapped around the marble columns of the Sottoportico. “The installation served as a rigorous test for the durability and versatility of our fabrics, as they are exposed to the elements – under the sun and rain,” says Selen Şahin Yilmaz, Kutnia's head designer.

After lunch, the company's founder, Jülide Konukoglu, gives us a tour of the HQ. Sporting a cream-coloured wrap dress adorned with elegant dark-blue vertical stripes and her brand's signature sleeve bows from Kutnia's spring/summer 2024 collection, she explains some of the specifics of the fabric that lies at the heart of the business. “To be classified as kutnu, the fabric must meet two specific criteria,” she says, briefly sitting behind the desk of her wood-panelled office. “First, it must be woven with a cotton weft and silk warp; and second, it must feature vertical stripes in its design.”

In its first year, Kutnia primarily focused on researching and developing the kutnu fabric, solidifying its branding and introducing itself to a new customer base. However, this progress was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, followed by earthquakes in 2023 that affected 11 provinces in Turkey, including Gaziantep. “Thankfully, the impact here was not as severe as in neighbouring cities but it has still been challenging for all of us,” says Konukoğlu. Though never originally conceived as a retail brand, Kutnia now counts three shops – two in Gaziantep and another in Istanbul – and is found in showrooms in Germany, Italy and the US. It has developed interior collections of cushions and homeware, as well as ready-to-wear garments. “My objective is to introduce this exceptional weaving method to the world and establish kutnu fabric as a renowned name in its own right,” she adds, before showing us a pavilion in the garden that contains some examples of historical pieces donated by an older generation of kutnu weavers.

Yilmaz joins us for a cup of Turkish coffee. Like many others on the team, she is a native of Gaziantep. “We have a strong connection with our city,” she says, as Konukoglu nods in agreement. “Many of us leave to study or work abroad but eventually we return to our roots here.”

Yilmaz studied at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and worked for various labels in the US before returning to her hometown. “I wanted to work for a brand that carried a deep personal meaning for me and, most importantly, everyone I work with is here – because they believe in it,” she says. It was when she saw Kutnia's Zeugma collection, which is inspired by the archives of the civic museum, that she knew she wanted to be part of the team. “The moment I laid eyes on it, I instantly fell in love with it. Having grown up with kutnu and the Zeugma Museum, both were deeply familiar to me. Yet it was inspiring to witness how they were ingeniously utilised in such an innovative and contemporary manner.”

We later make the 20-minute drive out of the city to Gaziantep's manufacturing hub, where the company's factory and showroom are located. Amid the industrial buildings, Kutnia's entrance catches our eye: once a cotton warehouse, it now stands adorned with vibrant pink, red and purple stripes. Inside, 17 weavers are at work on kara tezgah – manual looms where only the bobbin is motorised. One of the distinguishing features that sets the weaving of kutnu fabric apart is that it cannot be completely mechanised.

Nuray Kara, the factory manager, meets us in front of a whiteboard outlining the process, overall plan and types of warping methods. Originally from the nearby city of Adana, Kara holds a master's in kutnu fabrics. Thanks to her, the brand's forte lies in integrating a research and development process to modernise kutnu fabric. It's no small feat, since numerous Turkish fashion designers have tried to use kutnu but failed. One of the primary challenges they faced was the tendency for stitches in the arm or collar areas to unravel over time.

Staying true to the DNA of the fabric, Kutnia solved this by adjusting the thickness of the threads – hence how the firm was able to expand into a home decor line, including bed covers, tablecloths and pillow cases. Meanwhile, kitchenware features neutral shades accented with subtle line details and the bolder colours defining kutnu fabrics, such as red, yellow and orange, have been incorporated into vibrant throws and cushions.

Adjacent to the bustling machinery, there's another warehouse where the Kutnia showroom proudly displays all its samples from day one. “For garments, we prefer to utilise the authentic, bold colours of kutnu, such as pink, red and orange,” says Yilmaz. “This, of course, is a daring fashion choice and appeals to a courageous customer base. So far, our summer collection featuring softer tones such as off-white with a navy lining, has been our best-selling line.”

At the back, two weavers are engaged in bağlama, a colouring technique involving tying specific parts of the threads with cardboard and cotton string. The method stops those sections from melting at 170°C and allows only certain parts of the thread to be dyed. This creates the distinctive ikat-like patterns and is the most challenging aspect of kutnu production. Weavers today know every stage of the creation of the fabric but it was not always so. “It was once very laborious,” says Kara. “For each step, you needed a craftsman specialising in that area. Here we have brought it all together.” It takes about a year to teach all of the techniques but another 10 or more to truly master them.

Kara introduces us to Çetin Hamikoğullar, the chief foreman of Kutnia. He has 57 years of expertise in weaving kutnu fabric and has been an integral part of the brand since its inception. “This job requires sheer dedication and your utmost attention,” Hamikoğullar says. “A single mistake and the fabric has to be woven from scratch. That's why you cannot do this job if you do not love it.”