Promoting the city of İzmir, one t-shirt at a time

There are youngsters who sit at home complaining about life all the time, and there are those who are true entrepreneurs. Ali Atay is a youngster who could set a real example to those who do nothing but complain.

He finished his studies in Marmara University’s Communication department and started working in the advertisement business. Yet, he always had the idea of launching his own clothing brand – but not just any clothing brand. He is a fanatic of the city of İzmir, just like the other locals of the city. Atay thinks İzmir is a special city: “It is Turkey’s door to Europe, its people are very warm and it is a city that is always on Turkey’s agenda. I love İzmir just like other people from İzmir,” he said. That’s why he wanted to launch a brand related to İzmir.

Though his best friends with whom he grew up are there, Atay’s family also plays a big role in his love for İzmir.

“My dad is a city planning Professor at Dokuz Eylül University. He collected İzmir postcards and most of them had photos of the old city. He wrote many articles about İzmir and then he published a book about the city. He collects old magazines about İzmir and there are many information and photos, which one can hardly find anywhere else. That’s how my dad influenced me. I am from a family who is also in love with İzmir – so it was impossible not to fall in love with İzmir,” said Atay, who finished his secondary education in Paris, but came back to Turkey for his university studies. “Time passed by and as I was working as a copywriter, the financial crisis hit the country,” he said. Like most people in Turkey and around the world, he too was affected by the crisis, losing his job. However, they say everything happens for a good reason, and for Atay, this meant that he had the chance to launch his own brand after he became jobless. “I had my share from the financial crisis and when I came back from doing national service I couldn’t find a job. But that was the moment when I told myself it was the right time to start working on my own brand,” Atay said.

He always planned to make t-shirts with the most well known symbols of İzmir. He first made a list of names for the brand and shared it with friends. But the final decision-maker for the name of the brand was Atay’s girlfriend Eda, who is from Istanbul. She listened to all the names he listed and said, “Why don’t you name it ‘boyoz’?”

Boyoz, mostly consumed at breakfast with tea, is a pastry special to İzmir and is not sold in any other city. Atay, who mostly focused on the former names of İzmir, loved the idea. “It totally reminds people of İzmir, yet of course there are still many people who don’t have any idea of what boyoz means. But this is also a chance for the special pastry to get beyond the borders of İzmir. I’ll also be promoting the pastry,” Atay said. He only added another ‘z’ at the end of the word to make it look cooler.

Atay is a youngster who likes traveling and is one of those collectors who buys at least one memorable or symbolic object as a keepsake from other cities. After some years of traveling he realized that İzmir did not have any souvenir goods. “Not only in İzmir, but also throughout Turkey, the sector for souvenir items has not developed yet – even though we have many historic sites, natural beauties, symbols and traditional objects to promote,” he said, adding that tourists who want to buy a souvenir from İzmir return to their countries empty-handed.” Other than the store run by the Tourism and Cultural Ministry, which sells local products and items, there are no places to purchase souvenir gifts in İzmir.

For him, the job he started doing is as much about the promotion of the city as it is about making t-shirts. When asked why he started his business with the selling of t-shirts, he argued that people wear t-shirts in every season as it is a garment that is right for any time of the year.

Most of the t-shirts designed by Boyozz are limited edition. For one type of t-shirt, there will only be 50 copies. Atay has many ideas for upcoming t-shirts, including writers, poets and heroes that remind people of İzmir. “Having so many things that symbolize İzmir makes my job easier,” he said. He has not yet encountered any problems in starting up his business, yet, even if he does, he said it worth facing them.

Atay sold his first t-shirts to his friends and listened to their advice and criticisms. He has started selling them online and in two stores in İzmir for the moment. His friends and family have been continually supportive since he started the brand. Now, he expects the same attention from the people in Istanbul. “People in Istanbul like İzmir, most of them spend their summer holidays in vacation places around İzmir. That’s why I think they will also like Boyozz.”

On the newest t-shirts there are the printings of the clock tower, the late heroic journalist Hasan Tahsin, Atatürk Statue, palm trees and the sun. The prices are the same for all the t-shirts: 24.90 Lira. Check them out at boyozz.com.