High Fashion in Turkey: A Headscarf Tycoon and a Lingerie King

Two Turkish businessmen serve up a multimillion-dollar success story.

ByABC News
November 18, 2007, 1:32 PM

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Nov. 18, 2007— -- For many Muslims around the world, wearing the veil is a religious obligation but for Mustafa Karaduman, a Turkish businessman, the veil is also big money.

Karaduman has built a fashion empire across the Muslim world worth $50 million in sales last year.

His brand, Tekbir, is sold in Turkey, in other Muslim countries and in Europe.

Karaduman's secret is to make Islamic clothing that's trendy. He says he crafts his product according to instruction from the Koran, Islam's holy scriptures.

"[The Koran] says: 'dear prophet, take care of your son, daughter, girl, that they are covered full as their heart,'" Karaduman told ABC News.

"The sleeves are long till the wrist," said Karaduman. "The legs should be covered till the ankle. The garment should not be transparent, and it should not show their shapes."

"The head cover is also defined in the Koran," he said. "Women are ordered to wear a scarf."

A religious man, Karaduman makes dresses according to his beliefs, but as a shrewd businessman, he crafts them with the finest fabrics and fancy patterns.

"My mission," said Karaduman, "is to get as many women as possible to wear headscarves. I am not trying to do this with a stick, but with design."

At an Istanbul Tekbir store that ABC News visited, women loved the clothes.

"I like the style," said Zumrut. "In Islamic wear, I feel comfortable and beautiful."

Ninety-nine percent of Turks are Muslim, and radicals have gained influence over the years. However, Turkey remains a fiercely secular country, and headscarves are prohibited at public offices and schools.

Turkey's once-flourishing fashion industry still produces internationally established brands and its fashion designers produce much more than Islamic veils.

Deha Orhan is the owner of one of Turkey's hottest lingerie lines, called Ten.

Orhan inherited the multimillion-dollar line from his father.

Orhan crafts all his garments in Turkey, except for the panties and stockings. "We import them from Italy," he told ABC News.