Born
in Istanbul 1968, Atil Kutoglu graduated from the German Lycée in Istanbul
and came to Vienna to study business administration. When still at school
in Istanbul he was already freelancing for the country’s leading fashion
companies Vakko and Beymen.
In 1991 Atil Kutoglu completed his business studies at the University
of Vienna and presented his first collection with the help of a grant
from the Mayor of Vienna, Dr. Helmut Zilk. At the 1993 Munich Fashion
Week he was awarded the City of Munich prize as the best newcomer. This
was followed in 1994 by the „DIVA-Woolmark“ prize for the best Austrian
fashion designer, awarded by the International Wool Secretariat and Austria’s
„DIVA“ fashion magazine.
In 1995 shows in Düsseldorf, Milan and New York were given an enthusiastic
reception and reviews, particularly by the American press (e.g. „The New
York Times”, etc) and the retail trade. At the 1996 „Salzburger Gespräche“
(Salzburg Conversations) textile symposium, Atil Kutoglu was awarded the
coveted Salzburg Prize by the German Publishers Guild and the Austrian
fashion paper “Die österreichische Textilzeitung”.
In 1997 Kutoglu opened the first „Vienna Fashion Days“ with a fashion
show at which Countess Pilar Goëss – a leading trendsetter in Vienna and
a celebrated model in the Seventies returned to the catwalk for Atil Kutoglu.
He also designed a special silk scarves collection for the Archduchesse
of Austria Francesca von Habsburg´s exhibition „The St. Petersburg Muraqqa“
which featured oriental miniatures and examples of calligraphy from past
centuries.
1999 Atil Kutoglu was Invited by Mrs. Berna Yilmaz, wife of the Turkish
Prime Minister to show his “Ottoman Collection” on the occasion of the
700th anniversary of the founding of OTTOMAN EMPIRE with a gala fashion
show in the renown Yildiz Palace in Istanbul.
In 2000, the curators of the big Millenium – Gustav Klimt retrospective
“Klimt and the Woman” exhibition chose 27 designs of Atil Kutoglu to be
displayed next to Klimt paintings as a fashion exhibition. They demonstrated
parallels in the works of the big painter and Atil Kutoglu, as to the
sources of inspiration and subjects to be dressed – or painted (famous
woman) being similar.
Atil Kutoglu designed a special accessories collection (scarves, shawls,
ties and t-shirts) exclusively for the Sakip Sabanci Museum in Istanbul,
one of the first and leading private museums of Turkey. The collection
is still on sale in the museum boutique of the old Sabanci mansion on
a hill alongside the Bosphorus.
Atil Kutoglu also organized a big fashion gala in December 2004 in the
renown Hofburg Palace of Vienna under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ursula
Plassnik, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria. The 2 recent
collections of Kutoglu were presented by a 27 models team down a 70-meters-long
runway. The gala being prior to the EU- assembly date to announce that
negotiations with Turkey would start, also marked a friendly gesture between
the 2 countries Austria and Turkey.
Early March 2005 Kutoglu was ranked 238. in the annual “1000 Most Important
Persons in Austria”-list of the renown politics-weekly NEWS magazine of
Austria, leaving many prominent politicians and celebrities of the country
behind himself. In the list with Austria´s President Heinz Fischer being
1. and Prime Minister Wolfgang Schüssel 3., Kutoglu was described as a
“world-class international fashion designer”.
The influence of Orient is always present in Atil Kutoglu´s collections.
His favourite materials are leather, organza, mousseline, velvet and lustrous
materials. Kutoglu remains faithful to his oriental roots and his creations
often transport women to a mystical world. Clients and admirers of Kutoglu
creations include members of the aristocracy and show business personalities
such as actress Emily Lloyd, Princess Francesca von Habsburg, Princess
Ira von Fürstenberg, Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Nilüfer Sultan
of Turkey, pop-star Viktor Lazlo, Elizabeth Jagger, Mica Ertegün, Princess
Camilla von Habsburg, Arriana und Hubertus von Hohenlohe, Blaine Trump,
film stars Sonja Kirchberger, Barbara Wussow, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Naomi
Campbell, Lauren Bush (President´s niece), Nabila Kashoggi, Austria´s
Foreign Minister Dr. Ursula Plassnik, Padma Lakshmi-Rushdie etc.
Atil Kutoglu has been presenting his collections with fashion shows at
the New York Fashion Week for the past 4 seasons. Kutoglu´s creations
are sold in several countries around the world.