The New Anatolian / Ankara

As years pass people tend to depart from old customs and traditions, becoming trapped in a cycle of trying to adapt to a new life with technology changing around them. The Pestemal is a good example of this It`s commonly used in traditional Turkish baths, or hamams. In Ottoman times, there were also Pestemals available in silk. Today, the Pestemal is still used in hamams in Turkey, but not retaining the same value, as It`s seen as an ordinary piece of cloth.
Many people nowadays tend to seek more natural products, soaps, herbal teas etc. Many shops sell these products. In order to revive the culturally important Pestemal while adding another product that`s purely natural, a young entrepreneurial couple, Bige and Ercument Kizilay, have designed bathrobes from Pestemal fabric harking back to the 15th century.
The Kizilay`s “Pesh Collection” design allows people to use Pestemals not only in their bathrooms, but also at pools, beaches and during sports activities. It`s a very multipurpose creation. They`re not only light and easy to carry but also have highly absorbent qualities. They have an amazingly natural feel when you wear them.
Now that spas are hugely popular throughout the world, this unique creation will
add an indispensable character to spa culture. In an interview with the designers of the
Pesh Collection, the Kizilays talked about how they came to the idea of reviving a such a traditional fabric.

TNA: How did you come up with the idea of creating a pesh collection?
BIGE KIZILAY: Well it all started through our use of towels and bathrobes really. Living in humid weather in Istanbul we discovered that we needed something much lighter to wear after a shower, for example. We bought a Pestemal from Kapali Carsi(the Covered Bazaar) in Istanbul, and found ourselves fighting over who was going to wear it. Ercument had the idea that we should design a Pestemal collection. The weaving process of a Pestemal is very challenging, because normally Pestemals
are sold in one piece (1-1.70 meters). It`s hard to find the suitable measures and colors needed to weave brand-new Pestemals.

TNA: Why Pestemal?
BIGE KIZILAY: We had forgotten something that belongs to our culture. We`re now
using products that are a result of technology, that are far from their natural sources. We`re using products that are really victims of technology. It`s a simple matter of supply and demand.

TNA: People tend to buy more natural things nowadays...
BIGE KIZILAY: Yes, that`s right. We want to encourage this and create demand. Our products are very healthy.
It`s very light. It`s a product to be used to wrap yourself up or to dry yourself. It`s highly absorbent, and dries quickly. The spa trend is currently highly popular worldwide. We are the first to create designs for spa what we call creators of spa textile. Towels are used commonly in spas. In such humid atmospheres towels don`t come in handy really. You need a much more lighter product.
We believe that we can contribute to this sector with our products. A spa is like a ritual. We don`t want to identify our products solely with hamams. Our products are multi-purpose and can be used at home, at the beach, or in sports.

TNA: What`s your most popular product?
ERCUMENT KIZILAY: We`ve created a kimono model, adapting it using Pestemal fabric. There`s a great demand for our kimono models in the spas. It`s one of my favorites ones. Bige has now been working in the textile business for 17 years, and her husband who came up with the idea of producing Pestemals in different forms is a civil engineer. They`ve combined their experience and created a great collection. If you`re seeking a natural way of life, one of these pesh products is perfectly suited
for you.

The New Anatolian
NAZLI KARAMUSTAFAOGLU DEMIROZ

19 SATURDAY & SUNDAY MAY 14-15, 2005 TRAVEL