Life sometimes places you in places that make your journey difficult so that you can see what is behind the mountain; between the highs and lows, and between the valleys and plains, lies a metaphor for life. The heroine of today’s story is named Betül, and wonders how many pages the story will occupy?
Betül is a girl who did not start with a clear creative career path, but rather navigated a path of creative highs and lows, until she realized one day that her position on this map was not the place where she could achieve her ambition in life. In her childhood, she always admired souls who possessed hobbies from a young age, who were provided with opportunities to develop them and turn them into a profession even as they grew older and reached the world. Between discovering what they truly excel at and having resources available to them from everywhere, an opportunity like this did not truly present itself to Betül in her childhood, but she later realized that it is never too late to start over.
The story is not something like: “When I was seven years old, I possessed such and such…”, but rather came in a different mold and format.
Betül taught herself drawing because she saw it as something she enjoyed as a soul, especially since her upbringing was in Germany, but she possesses Turkish roots that are clearly evident in the authenticity of her soul and self-made nature.
After learning to draw, life progressed with her until she came to love fashion and care about it; between imagining coordination and perhaps reimagining cuts that were not necessarily available for purchase, and here she began telling herself: “Why don’t I put my ideas on paper?”
Betül admitted that in her beginnings she was—like many people—humble in her drawings or completely far from perfection, and this is part of the work, but with the practice she maintained, she began to form her own drawing style; as she was well-versed in self-learning methods such as educational tutorials that reflect specific ways to highlight overall images and many others, and she ended up experimenting with numerous techniques and diverse colors.
Drawing here was not just a weekend or holiday hobby, but rather a daily and continuous schedule, and this is what she described as the primary driver to make her see the advanced level she reached today; as her development was the incentive to continue. She had a great interest in fashion shows and following fashion trends, all because of her desire to develop her skills. This became her beacon to explore the world of fashion in a greater way; she had always drawn on actual paper and experimented with paper details and its texture, the feeling of scribbles on the white surface, and perhaps the frustration when a color goes outside the line, until drawing turned into digital drawing. What if this was the starting point for something bigger and deeper?
A Favorite Look Followed by a Sketch Her schedule came to consist of taking a snapshot of a favorite look from a specific fashion show and drawing it in her own personal style; perhaps with the very essence but in another style, as if you see the same painting and know what its name is, but you see a copy by Van Gogh and another by Picasso, isn’t that so? It is a visual metaphor.
The drawings progressed from a draft number one to a draft in one of the years to share her work on social platforms, where she focused her goals on communication, and why not? Her communication was to find similar poles who admire what she presents of art, develop it as a work, and adopt it as a philosophy, and even to find those who truly share the same interests. For Betül sees that publishing her work is not just for others, but perhaps it is an accredited certificate and a message to herself; as she says: “I love the ability to look back and see the extent of my development; where the journey of my development in creativity is monitored and acts as part of my portfolio.”
What is her view on fashion then? Let us read:
“Fashion has definitely shaped the way I see art. For me, fashion is art, but it is so much more than that. It is also architecture on a body.It can be a form of self-expression, a reflection of culture, a statement about society or even a way of communicating political ideas. Fashion can tell stories without using words, and I think that is what makes it so powerful.”
Did this architecture stem from discovering designers who treat clothing with an approach different from the prevailing model? And what did Betül add?
“I love watching Fashion Weeks and discovering designers who approach clothing in unexpected ways. The designs in the fashion industry are mostly a copy and taste but brands like Schiaparelli do it differently: the combination with sculpture, experimentation, color and surreal elements. I also admire Jacquemus, especially the way the brand combines relatively simple aesthetics with imaginative presentations and strong visual concepts. Seeing this kind of creativity reminds me that there are always new possibilities.”
The Private School in Düsseldorf
In 2019, Betül ended up joining a private school; where the experience gave her her first look at the method and type of education in the field of fashion, and this changed her view of fashion later when she decided to leave due to some financial circumstances. This was not the end, but the beginning of something new; for even when an opportunity like this seems to have ended, a new story begins. Betül completed her training, but this time as a clothing technical assistant in a public school.
This was not just a beginning, but a discovery of her love for product development despite her love for fashion. Here she realized one of the important lessons: that fashion is an entity and not just a visual appearance for the eye alone, but rather an engineering assembly similar to building buildings in cities; between structure, measurements, raw materials, and clothing production engineering. It is as if you are building a residential complex, designing its decorations, and even choosing its wallpaper. And this made her appreciate the creative process in fashion behind the scenes much more than what the naked eye sees:
“During my training I learned that fashion is not only about the final visual result. I learned about construction, fit, materials, measurements and garment production. Now when I design or sew something, I don’t only see the finished garment. I also think about the process behind it, its construction and its function.”
Betül was like a person who signed an acceptance agreement grateful for both experiences, because they opened up horizons and convictions for her in seeing the type of education that truly suits her and what she really tends toward. And here a person begins to know their position and role where their compass points.
Page 29, Written in September
Perhaps there is an addiction to putting a creative idea and turning it into a tangible reality.. So was this the first step on the journey? The process began counting up from number one; as Betül likes to follow the path of the initial idea and where things lead. Was this fabric linen? Or cotton? silk? Or velvet? Or technical drawings? The counter began to pass and passed between fittings, production, and tailoring engineering, as if you were assembling a puzzle board to see its final shape. One model with a different result; perhaps a puzzle or clothing pieces, both are one because they started with a pattern.
A mixture like this made Betül interested in this world because it combines everything: technical understanding and creative work. So what happened in 2025? Do we start with it or with the latest changes? Betül, what happened?
“One of the most important experiences for me was my two-month internship at Rough Clothing in 2025. It gave me the opportunity to experience apparel product development in practice, particularly within streetwear. I learned about creating designs, developing tech packs, working with Adobe Illustrator and Pantone, communicating with suppliers and understanding parts of the production process. I also had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the SS27 collection, for which I created a moodboard. Recently the new FW26 collection dropped and I noticed that one or two ideas from my moodboard had already been incorporated, which was a really rewarding feeling for me. This experimence confirmed that product development is an area in which I could see myself building my career.
One project that is especially meaningful to me is my collection “Office Muse 1997.” I was inspired by 1990s Yves Saint Laurent and Prada, as well as the nostalgia of traditional office fashion. I wanted to reinterpret that atmosphere through a feminine and powerful perspective. Women who have character, feel empowered to show it, and still stand strong in their business.”
Events like this put the career in a completely different dimension, as if it were a pivotal moment between proof, experimentation, and exploring the truth and the unknown; as she developed three complete looks by herself. And since her self-made background was the one in the arena, she bore a great responsibility that made her need to be a veteran in record time as a person responsible for the entire process alone, starting from the initial idea as the cornerstone, all the way to the final styling.
Three Looks by One Person’s Hand
The collection was a present mixture between loose cuts and elements indicating femininity such as corsets worn over shirts which in turn were a fashion that had its audience and continuous momentum from previous years. The collection progressed to include high heels, long skirts, and blazers combining an earth- and nature-inspired color palette; as her goal was to make the looks elegant, modern, bold, and at the same time calm and harmonious.
Through what Betül experienced herself, she became certain of what many who worked in the same field acknowledged: “Sometimes the result is something different from what you expected.” As she expressed that during this process she faced a brief high-pressure period, running on the relentless energy of an unstoppable battery. But for Betül, fashion also lay in accepting that things are subject to change even if the result is different from the initial idea; for trusting the path and holding onto the vision may lead you to a much better result.
A Feeling, an Opinion, Then a Message
There was a feeling visiting her that she describes as unique and wonderful; especially with her realization that there must be an idea locked away in the mind, as if sealed and forbidden from use, suddenly breaking free and liberating itself with an energy that makes it real as something you can touch, look at, and actually wear.. Is this not a strange and beautiful mixture between the senses?
After all this, Betül received various opinions, between critical comments from outsiders and positive feedback. But one of her firm convictions was that everyone has the right to express their opinion quite frankly and honestly, in this situation, her role toward herself is based on not letting these opinions judge what she truly presented or make them determine her true compass; especially when you are the person most knowledgeable about your process and what you have gone through in terms of experiences, lessons, challenges, or opportunities. You must listen and take what you truly need without making that a stopping point like the one at the end of this line.
After all this, this creative soul still aspires for the better until she finds where her boat truly anchors; for she sees that all this is merely a beginning and not the end of the story, for her ambition is a career toward what she truly wants, and the pages of this story are nothing but waves that moved the boat and the return line that has begun to loom on the horizon far away and she cannot go back. And here lies her final conviction: that this realization in itself is progress, and that this is nothing but experience among experiences she wants to acquire more of in her future career, to enhance her skills in fashion design and product development, and perhaps launch her own brand in the future.. Who knows? All these are certificates of achievement engraved in the journey toward publication.
Perhaps there are stories resembling the essence of Betül’s story today, and perhaps there are souls possessing the same views on life and possessing the same sequence of her journey with different details, but fundamentally identical. So what are the final words on the pages of today’s book?
“I have consciously decided not to pursue university. I believe there is more than one way to build a career or grow in a particular field and for me, practical experience and continuous learning feel more meaningful than following a traditional academic path simply because it is socially expected.
My message to anyone reading this is to do what makes you feel good and follow your own path, no matter what. It’s never too late to start something new. Embrace your individuality and never be afraid to show who you are. Life is a journey you may have to take risks and make sacrifices along the way. They may not always feel comfortable in the moment, but if you believe your future self will be grateful that you took the chance, sometimes you simply have to be brave enough to take that step.”
Betül today is a person passionate about fashion, illustrations, clothing and product development, and even a technological assistant specialized in the field of clothing.
Not all stories have a single model or a single result, and not all stories have a sad or happy ending; perhaps there are stories that have no endings, and others with open endings as if you are waiting for another season of your favorite show or the upcoming fall and winter collection of your creative director. Therefore, Betül’s message and views might also be something you want to hear its upcoming season, especially since the scenario here is not what you usually see on the pages of any magazine, but rather a story telling you that your story does not have to be a single model, and that your story has chapters that may far exceed three chapters.
