Bir Yolunu Bul | Yavuz Selim Bayraktar & Onur Gökmen Gevri | TEDxSetbaşı

Quick Overview

Yavuz Selim Bayraktar and Onur Gökmen Gevri from GUMA presented their philosophy of finding balance between tradition and modernity, exemplified by their work blending Anatolian textile heritage with contemporary design, resulting in unique, story-rich products and immersive retail experiences.

Key Points: GUMA co-founders Yavuz Selim Bayraktar and Onur Gökmen Gevri discussed their brand's mission to create unique products by merging Anatolian heritage with contemporary design. They highlighted their 'Anatolian Sessions' project, which involved collaborating with local artisans from regions like Gürgüköy and Mezitler to produce items like ikat-patterned poufs and textiles. The brand emphasizes storytelling, ensuring every product, like the handmade pouf, has a deep narrative, unlike mass-produced luxury items. GUMA actively avoids creating items solely for the 'VIP' or 'luxury' segment, preferring to develop products that reflect authentic cultural stories. They are expanding beyond e-commerce by creating 'interactive physical stores' (cafés, museums) that offer immersive shopping experiences rather than just point-of-sale transactions. The founders shared a personal story about using a photograph of Yavuz Selim Bayraktar's great-aunt (who had no professional modeling experience) for a photoshoot, demonstrating their commitment to genuine representation. Their future vision includes creating an ecosystem around their brand, integrating their visual storytelling across all platforms.

Context: The presentation is part of a TEDxSetbaşı event where GUMA co-founders Yavuz Selim Bayraktar and Onur Gökmen Gevri share the journey and philosophy behind their brand, GUMA. The brand focuses on reviving traditional Anatolian textile arts and craftsmanship by integrating them into modern, luxury-adjacent products and experiences, challenging conventional retail models.

Detailed Analysis

Yavuz Selim Bayraktar and Onur Gökmen Gevri, co-founders of GUMA, detailed their brand's approach to blending traditional Anatolian artistry with contemporary design to create unique, story-driven products. They introduced their 'Anatolian Sessions' project (00:57), which involved filming in various Anatolian villages like Gürgüköy and Mezitler (02:53-02:56) to document the creation of products like ikat poufs (10:47) and textiles, often involving local artisans. They contrasted their work with mass-market luxury goods, emphasizing that GUMA seeks to imbue every piece with a valuable story (08:40, 10:03). They specifically mentioned creating a textile design based on the traditional patterns of their great-aunt's shawl (05:35-05:38, 15:35). The presentation shifted to their retail strategy, detailing their move beyond pure e-commerce to create 'Interactive Physical Stores' (12:09) in unique venues like cafés and museums, transforming shopping into an experiential journey. They emphasized that while they sell online, their physical presence is crucial for allowing customers to experience the texture and quality of their products firsthand (11:47-11:54). The founders concluded by stating their goal is to build an ecosystem around their brand, ensuring their narrative is consistently reflected in all visual content.