The History of Mavi Jeans Brand

MAVI Jeans is the leading denim manufacturing company in Turkey. Jeans by Mavi are today sold
in trading centers like Jenashalle. Kaufhof, Bloomingdales, Pekk & Cloppenberg, Buckle,
Francobox, Vanity, Nordstrom, Houses of Fraiser, Engelhorn, Over the Rainbow, Dillards, Wet
Steal, Olymp & Hades, Warehouse of London, Jeans Machines, Off the Wall, Caruso Caruso, E-
Street Denim, Zweiflers, Boot Legger, Crash Zinser, Infinito, US Male, National Jeans, Smith
Bros., Gerngross, Kult, Hangers, SMR Chalk Garden, Blow the Belt, Western Store, Just Jeans and
Urban.
Turkish custom jeans brand Mavi Jeans was established by Saiat Akarlilar in 1991. However, the
history of the brand begins in 1971, when the first textile company by Akarlilar was created in
Istanbul. It was called Textile Guvena. In 1984 ERAK company was established, which
focused on manufacture of jeans and denim for the world brands. And 1991 brings Mavi Jeans to
the world markets together with a Perfect Fit strategy, according to which the customers were
offered special style solutions and size systems, adapted to each concrete country. Besides a special
conception which took into account Mediterranean origin of the brand was established. In 1993
Mavi Jeans begins its national campaign and in 1994 it starts to export jeans in European countries.
Only in five years time Mavi Jeans manages to become the leading Turkish jeans brand and in
1996 it establishes its North American department in New York.
The decision to export jeans abroad and start from the USA was groundbreaking. The new office
also worked on the markets of Canada and Germany. And next year Mavi Jeans hit the markets of
North Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe. Also showrooms in Los Angeles and Vancouver
were opened. A new advertising campaign with the slogan Its too much starts. By 1998 the
company exports about 1 million pairs of custom tailored jeans all over the world. Even celebrities
like Cher, Chelsea Clinton, Geri Halliwell and some of MTV moderators start to wear jeans
manufactured by Mavi. In 1999 advertising campaign Weve gone too far starts and in 2000
denim creations by Mavi appear on the market of Great Britain.
That year the company takes 128th place in the list of 500 best manufacturing companies in Turkey.
2001 brings the first fashion show in New York and opening of a new showroom in Dallas. The
company rapidly spreads to the markets of Australia and Denmark and lands on the 77th place in
the above mentioned list. At the CPD-X SITE fair in Germany in 2002 Mavi Jeans brand is in the
focus of attention and President of Mavi North America Ersin Akarlilar occupies the 93rd place in
the list of most influential people in the USA.
In Turkey the triumph of the brand is even more evident. According to polls carried out by
Capital and Adekko magazines in 2003 among students of Turkish universities Mavi Jeans
brand is second in popularity after C-Cola. Mavi also appears on the pages of Time magazine and
American magazine Cosmogirl calls jeans manufactured by Mavi the sexiest jeans in the world.
By the way, the second largest shop on Union Square in New York also belongs to Mavi Jeans
brand. The opening of Mavi shops in Frankfurt, Berlin and Montreal follow.
Today the brand has a turnover of 250 millions dollars and its collections are sold in 50 countries.
The surface of ERAK factories in Istanbul makes up 75,000 square meters and 11,000,000 pairs of
custom tailored jeans are manufactured there every year.