Fashion Insights Journey

Explore the human cost of fashion and become a more conscious consumer today.

Empathy in Fashion

Understanding the industry's impact through stories and insights from pioneers and influencers.

Conscious Consumerism

Learn about hidden supply chains and labor practices that shape our clothing choices.

Join us in reflecting on the profound impact of fashion on lives and communities.

Understanding Fashion's Impact

Support Our Kickstarter Campaign

Be the Change: Support Ethical Fashion

Join us in launching "Understanding is the Solution" and be part of the movement for a more compassionate fashion industry.

We've already designed 8 exclusive preorder packages in our shop, featuring Cengiz's stunning and ethically-sourced fashion. Your support, whether through preordering or simply signing up with your email address, is deeply appreciated.

Sign up with your email address today to receive:

Rated 5 stars by readers

★★★★★

• Exclusive updates on the book's progress and launch

• Access to the Kickstarter campaign when it goes live (deadline: Jan 2025), with opportunities to secure signed copies and other unique rewards

• Early bird discounts and special offers

Your support will directly contribute to:

• Empowering ethical fashion practices

• Raising awareness about the human cost of fashion

• Inspiring positive change within the industry

Together, we can make a difference.

Sign up now, explore our shop, and be part of the solution.

Get in Touch

Join Cengiz Dana on a journey to understand the fashion industry and its profound impacts.

Whether you're interested in learning more about Cengiz's work, exploring potential business collaborations, or simply seeking further information about his brand, factory, or resources, we welcome you to get in touch.

Fill in the form below with your intent, and we'll be in touch shortly.

Discover opportunities for collaboration, gain insights into ethical fashion practices, or access valuable industry resources.

Schedule a consultation with Cengiz today

From Istanbul to Zhongshan: A Fashion Journey Forged in Understanding

Cengiz Dana's story is one of passion, resilience, and a deep understanding of the fashion industry. From his early days in Istanbul to building a thriving international brand in Zhongshan, China, Cengiz's journey reflects a lifelong commitment to ethical practices and a profound respect for the human element behind every garment.

"If you don't love yourself how can anyone else love me?"

"If I don't do it, nobody will do for me!"

His new book, "Understanding Is the Solution," offers a unique glimpse into his experiences and philosophy, revealing the hidden stories behind the fashion world. From navigating the complexities of global supply chains to empowering local communities, Cengiz's insights are invaluable for anyone seeking to understand the true impact of their fashion choices.

The "Belt and Road" Dream of Turkish cowboys

Written By:

Zhongshan Overseas Communication Center 2023-12-29

https://zsrbapp.zsnews.cn/mobile/newsDetail/#/628882

A pair of jeans connects the starting and ending points of the Silk Road.

Now it is ready to take root in China and start a new journey of globalization

“I came here because my first business contact was in Zhongshan.”

Cengiz Dana, 71, has lived and started a business in China for more than 20 years. Looking out the window of his factory office, he can see Shaxi Industrial Avenue in Zhongshan. Every day, a large number of vehicles transporting raw materials, accessories or ready-made clothes pass by here.

This is a major center of China's fashion industry. Cengiz also established his multinational "fashion empire" in Shaxi: Turkish materials and technology, Dutch design and brands, and Chinese manufacturing and distribution.

A pair of jeans, integrating his more than half a century of experience in the industry, connects the starting point and end point of the ancient Silk Road, and crosses the countries along the "Silk Road Economic Belt". Now, it is ready to be based in China and start a new journey - taking the "express train" of e-commerce to a globalized future.

Cengiz's factory is adjacent to the live broadcast building of Shaxi's leading enterprise. It is an orange office building with its own courtyard, hidden in the shadows of swaying trees. November 18, 2023 is the opening day of his new Shaxi factory and sample showroom.

In the afternoon, long firecrackers were set off in front of the building, and a lively party was held in the courtyard. Chinese and foreign guests came in droves, and they were warmly welcomed with fine wine and delicious food.

"Let's cut the ribbon together!" With the cheers of the female host, a piece of red cloth hanging above the "Business is booming" at the door of the building fell down, revealing an English sign: Florez. In English, it means "king of flowers".

"Now is the time for our brand to move towards internationalization." Cengiz Dana gave a speech standing in front of the steps.

He is tall and full of energy, speaking English with a strong accent. Although Florez is a Dutch fashion brand, it also has Turkish and Chinese genes.

"It combines all my experience. The production line and material experience come from Istanbul, Turkey, the design and brand promotion come from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the product production and distribution come from Zhongshan, China."

Cengiz looked proud, "Shaxi plays an important role in the fashion industry. In Zhongshan, I can realize all my creative ideas about fashion."

Cengiz Dana's factory in Shaxi, Zhongshan.

Cengiz Dana's factory in Shaxi, Zhongshan. Florez Shaxi new factory ribbon-cutting ceremony. November 18, 2023

Chinese and foreign guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. China and Turkey have close cooperation, and Cengiz from Turkey also "looks eastward" for the future of his company.

"I am also very interested in learning more about relevant policies so that I can develop e-commerce."

In the past, his products were mostly sold overseas, but now he will enter the Chinese market.

"The fashion industry is developing well in China. Over the past decade, Chinese people have become more fashionable, and some young girls dress more fashionably than Europeans."

"I hope our brand will be favored by Chinese women."

In December 2023, Cengiz's new company officially obtained a Chinese industrial and commercial business license.

Chinese female customers in a Florez Fashion showroom.

Li Dongni is a Chinese assistant who assists Cengiz in brand operations. "Cengiz is very rigorous in its pursuit of products, but it also gives us employees a lot of room to play."

This job has allowed her to come into contact with many foreign designers and customers, which has broadened her horizons. She hopes to go to these countries one day to experience the local culture in person and understand the outside world's evaluation of the products.

"I admire him for always focusing on one thing." Paul Jolley, a British business development consultant who has been friends with Cengiz for many years, believes that Cengiz' products reflect the collision of multiple cultures, the understanding of customers, and inspire people to learn from each other.

"Just like the spirit of the 'Belt and Road' initiative, we uphold cultural diversity and inspire each other for better products and a better life. "

Paul Jolley (second from left) chats with friends at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new factory in Shaxi, Cengiz also revealed that he is publishing an English autobiography of about 60,000 words, "Understanding Is the Solution", which tells his experiences and insights in the fashion industry over the years. Through this book, we learned about his unusual family background.

The Dana family has a close relationship with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. His grandfather was a close confidant of Kemal, who fought alongside Kemal during the First World War and died beside him. His grandfather's children were then taken by Kemal to be raised in Dolmabahce Palace, where he lived.

Among them was Dana's father, who worked in Kemal's palace kitchen with his brother, and thus met many important figures in Turkey, and later became a famous chef.

However, Cengiz Dana did not follow his father's original plan in his personal career. He started working in the fashion industry at the age of 16.

At the age of 19, he sold men's clothing in Vakko, the largest department store in Turkey.

In the 1970s, he traveled to Europe with his friends and fell in love with Amsterdam.

In August 1973, he opened his first clothing workshop and founded the brand "DANA".

In 1978, he founded the jeans brand "Mariel" in Grand Canaria.

Cengiz Dana (front row, right) and his family when he was a child. Cengiz's father is in the middle of the back row.

An unusual Turkish family

In 1982, he became a Dutch citizen and founded the brand "Day By Day".

Today's Florez is the development and renaming of his early brand "Just Me and Mine" (JMM).

He has always maintained a cooperative relationship with his nephew Floris, a "friend of different ages" he met in the Netherlands.

"Florez is our common brand."

Like "Made in China"

In 2002, Cengiz came to China. In the first two years, he was just a tourist traveling around, but he soon found that he could produce better products in China.

"China has good development opportunities. Compared with Turkey, the labor cost here is lower, but the product quality is unambiguous."

The bright new Shaxi factory is separated from Cengiz' office by only a corridor. Through the glass, you can see Chinese workers busy at their respective posts. They are so focused that no one looks up at the line of visitors.

"Chinese people are humble, they know how to listen, understand your ideas, and have strong execution capabilities. In China, the fashion industry is highly efficient, and you don't have to waste time on inefficient communication. I particularly like this," Cengiz said. "Time is money."

This is a microcosm of "Made in Zhongshan". As of 2023, Shaxi, a small town in Zhongshan known for its casual wear, has gathered more than 4,000 clothing companies.

At present, Shaxi is leading the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry with the "modern fashion industry cluster fleet", vigorously promoting the upgrading of the industry to fashion and branding, and forming a new high-end supply pattern of "Shaxi design", "Shaxi brand" and "Shaxi products".

Dayong Town, which is adjacent to Shaxi Town, is the global manufacturing center of jeans. The originator of jeans, "Levi's", with a 170-year history, also set up a foundry here.

Floris (back row, left) and Cengiz (back row, right) are photographed together. They are partners.

Cengiz introduced the factory's operations to the guests.

"Not everyone can produce high-quality jeans, but I can do it in China." Cengiz is confident.

His brand Florez has become well-known in the Netherlands.

At the Amsterdam Fashion Show, it was selected as one of the four most beautiful and innovative modern brands.

Its ready-to-wear is now sold in more than 350 well-known multi-brand stores in the Netherlands, and its 2024 autumn and winter series is ready to enter the markets of the Netherlands, Austria, France, Belgium, the United States, Canada and China.

Hardworking Chinese workers

Florez clothing contains the genes of the Netherlands, Türkiye and China.

The brand's clothing is also on display in the sample showroom of the new factory in Shaxi, and a large part of them are jeans.

They are soft to the touch, thick in fabric, with a sense of drape and just the right silhouette, attracting many visiting female guests to "buy" on the spot.

"The secret of success lies in the exquisite and professional manufacturing and washing technology. You see, our fabrics and washing water are very unique." Cengiz is proud of his products.

The reason why he focuses on denim clothing is not only because "denim" can transcend gender, age, region and culture, but also from a technical perspective, "making jeans requires a lot of expertise."

"Cowboys" can transcend gender, age and culture.

In his opinion, a good pair of jeans requires creative design, professional tailoring, and a perfect combination of fabric and washing.

To this end, the manufacturer must control every detail of the production process, from a button to the texture and stitching. Starting with jeans and then gradually expanding to the production of T-shirts with lower technical content is an effective way to build a brand.

In 2021, the "Zhongshan Dayong Town Washing Industry Cluster Environmental Protection Development Plan" was issued, and Dayong denim washing industry is undergoing transformation and upgrading.

Cengiz' factory also follows the trend. "More than 50 years ago, when I first entered the industry, the clothing industry did not pay much attention to environmental protection; but now the times are different, and I feel obligated to create products that respect nature."

He said, "The pain of the enterprise is inevitable, but for us to have a better future and for sustainable industrial development, I am willing to make changes."

Environmental protection has become a trend in the apparel industry.

Happy Living Zhongshan Friendship Bay Area

After years of immersion in the industry, Cengiz has established connections with many fashion industry "bigwigs", including Shauket Iman, who was in charge of Levi's design, fabric selection and manufacturing for 39 years.

From 2009 to 2010, he designed expensive jeans for many world-famous singers such as Justin Bieber and Bon Jovi.

Cengiz (left) and Shauket Iman.

"Shoket is about 10 to 12 years older than me.

He has an office and showroom in Hong Kong, which is only a 90-minute ferry ride away from Zhongshan where I live.

Therefore, I often visit him and he also comes to Zhongshan to visit me."

Through Shokket's introduction, Cengiz met Adriano Goldschmied, who is known as the "American Jeans Godfather" .

The two worked together for 18 months and designed and produced a series of clothing for the latter.

Cengiz Dana (second from right) took a photo with the "American Jeans Godfather" Adriano Goldschmidt (first from right) and other friends.

Cengiz said that Zhongshan has obvious location advantages in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which makes it very convenient for him to start a business and live here . Although Zhongshan does not have an airport, he can quickly reach so many airports in the surrounding area. With the addition of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, future transportation will be even more powerful.

At the end of the interview, Cengiz decided to take us to an Italian restaurant on Hengxin Street in Zhongshan City, which was his "canteen" for business lunch. On the same day, a Spanish friend came specially from Nansha, Guangzhou, to discuss with him about web design and brand promotion for opening an online store in China.

Along the way, Cengiz chatted about his life in Zhongshan. He drove a Chinese-brand electric car, "In my mind, this is the best car." He didn't need to use navigation, and it was obvious that he was very familiar with the roads in Zhongshan. "I like it here, it's safe, quiet, and clean. In recent years, there are many more cafes and Western restaurants. There is no better place to live than here." He has two sons, who are half Chinese and speak fluent Chinese.

"As my philosophy of life suggests, understanding is the solution. To understand a place, you must immerse yourself in it and become a part of it. Now, I have my own home in China."

Look East - My Dream of Jeans in the BRI

Born in Istabul, Dutch citizen Cengiz moved to Zhongshan, China, when he was 50 years old. As his first business contact was in Zhongshan, he came here 20 years ago. He believes he can do everything in fashion that he wants in Zhongshan.

His new factory opened in Shaxi, Zhongshan on 18 November 2023. He is combining all of his vast experience to establish the brand Florez.

The production and material are from Türkiye. The design and branding are from Holland. The manufacturing and distributing are from Zhongshan, China. Cengiz thinks production in China is much easier for him. Because Chinese workers understand him better and follow his plans effectively.

The fashion business production in China is really efficient.

Cengiz said that Zhongshan has obvious location advantages in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, making it very convenient for him to start a business and live here.

He has cooperated with many talents, such as Shauket Iman , who once was in charge of the design of Levi's for 39 years , and Adriano Goldschmied, who is considered the “God Father of Denim” in America.

Now Cengiz is starting E-commerce in China. With the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, he is interested to learn more about the policies for his E-commerce strategy. He hopes that Chinese fashionable ladies will love his brand.