1- What’s Mehtap Elaidi’s normal day look like?

I am an early bird. I usually wake up around 7 am and linger around for an hour or so then I try to exercise and if I succeed, I have my breakfast afterwards and head off to work. I usually have long meetings especially when we are creating a collection with my design team. We live in a forest so when I come back home, I try to slow down and take a walk in the nature and then I either read or watch a movie before I go to sleep.

2- What is your favorite corner or the most inspiring spot at home?

I love working on my terrace when the weather permits if not, I work in my small cottage/ atelier

3- Which appeals you the most: working from home, office, or atelier?

I think my answer would go for a hybrid solution I like doing it both.

4- What new insights into the future of the fashion industry did you experience when we were at home?

I have realized that for some there had been a better understanding of what’s going around us, and sustainability had finally become a real subject rather than an advertising tool.

5- How did your shopping habits change over the past year?

Like many, I found myself shopping more for home and I took a good glimpse of what I have in my wardrobe.

6- Have you created any new habits during this period? There may also be things that nourish your soul or perspective of design.

I have gone back to painting and developed my long-standing cooking skills.

7- Over the last year, how has “remote working” routine evolved on your own brand? What kind of vision has been created in digital world of the Mehtap Elaidi brand?

Like many, we as a team had also experienced remote working and to our surprise, we have realized that we could do more than we imagined in such times. We also started a new activity on Instagram we called Design with ME, DWME, where we collectively designed pieces with our followers. We as the ME team gave two detail alternatives leaving the decision to the majority votes and after three of four steps, we finally reached the full design This had been favored by our many followers and it has been a good practice for both us and our followers. We have then had them produced in limited amounts to be sold on our e-shop.

8- What do you miss the most about in-person fashion shows?

The goosebumps we had when the first model got on stage and the relief when the show was over and the instant reaction we get.

9- For you, what are the major stakes and challenges for fashion industry?

I always say 2 + 2 does not make four in this industry and if it does it is pure coincidence. There is too much competition in the market especially with the social media in its full power. It is not enough to create a good collection if you cannot reach the right buyers, so you really have study your homework and find a way to reach your audience which is not so easy when there are so many companies like you. You must be persistent and know what your real strengths are.

10-Do you believe we'll be able to break our post-pandemic patterns even though we go back to square one?

I definitely do.

Author: Zeynep Gür