40 Years of ROMAN
Forty Years of
FASHION
Here's to 40 years of fashion, 80 collections,
& countless happy, confident, stylish women.
1980
was not a bad year for a fashion brand to begin its life. Just as it is now in 2020, we had entered a new decade and were preparing to welcome one of the most extraordinary and interesting eras when fashion responded to the unfavorable political and economic developments plaguing the world and made great strides alongside the rise of popular culture. Liberated by designers making their mark in the 80s with magnificent creativeness, fashion was an escape for everyone due to its positive impact, and a new era was about to begin in which novelties would be attempted without fear. Fashion was also to accompany the power and authority-driven career plans of women and where necessary, place emphasis on their feminine attractiveness.
In 1980, when all of these were merely potential developments yet to come to life, Roman set out on its fashion journey with a vision to reflect its high-quality, sustainable production approach with innovative and strong design collections and become a brand that liberates women, empowers them, makes them feel good and presents them with opportunities to express themselves. The store that opened on Rumeli Street in Nisantasi that same year was the first address where we met the Roman Woman.
The world is facing a politically and economically tough time today as well. Although fashion is still an escape for many of us, the circumstances we face today are not what they were 40 years ago. In this new era when everything has already been attempted and done before, and we have seen everything and can easily get anything, fashion brands frequently avoid reality and forget their origins or purpose of existence in the pursuit of innovation.
During such a time, instead of looking for inspiration somewhere else, brands should perhaps return to their origins to find the guidance and solutions they need. This is because the main story with all its authenticity, reality and richness lies there. The Roman Spring/Summer 2020 collection reflects a fashion journey that spans 40 years. It is the result of a process by which we returned to our origins, imagined today and reminded ourselves of our original purpose at every step along the way. Oversized jackets with shoulder pads, puff balloon sleeves, smocks, drapes and pleats, bold colors and patterns not only bring back the voluminous and artsy silhouettes of the 80s, but also respond to the maximalism passion of the Roman Woman. On the other hand, sleeveless jackets paired with Bermuda shorts by which we have reinterpreted classic forms with modern touches reveal the minimalist attitude of the 90s and combine refined stylishness with comfort. In the collection, you can also see colorful, free and dynamic lines with the ethnic patterns and batik dyeing of the “Gipsy” brand, which was created by Roman in the 90s with young people in mind.
The 2000s, an era where mainstream ideas from different eras were fused and therefore seem more nostalgic than many other eras, are currently making a huge comeback in the fashion world, in line with the saying that trends repeat themselves “every 20 years”. The Roman Spring/Summer 2020 collection captures the spirit of the 2000s by bringing together seemingly mismatched individual parts and creating a harmonious combination from them. Although it is still early to summarize the fashion of the last decade in a few headlines and define what trends it will leave behind, the innovative fabric technologies and functional solutions introduced by the fashion industry, speed-driven in every aspect, appear in this collection as unseen heroes.
While the Roman Spring/Summer 2020 collection takes us on a tour into the rich history of the brand, we also wanted the seasonal campaign to paint a picture of this journey by bringing yesterday and today into the same frame. The photographs from Roman campaigns from the 90s taken by Tamer Yilmaz, the most experienced fashion photographer in Turkey, which we have carefully stored in our archives, have reemerged with this campaign. The fact that this story is being continued by a young talent personally trained by Tamer Yilmaz is another aspect that makes the Roman Spring/Summer 2020 campaign unique.
We have turned a new page this season without forgetting who we are, and we have renewed ourselves by remembering our roots. It is a collection for which we have meticulously prepared every detail with our 40 years of experience.
With the hope that you’ll like it...
Suzan Toplusoy Creative Director
