Atil Kutoglu

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.