INNOVATIONS IN ANATOLIAN LOOMS AND FABRICS

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Fırat Neziroğlu is the first designer to experiment with transforming Anatolia’s traditional two-pedal looms into four-pedal systems. Despite strong resistance from academic circles, he has continued to pursue this groundbreaking work. Traditionally, the two-pedal system allows only plain weave (tabby) and its derivatives. Anatolian fabrics most commonly feature plain weave, weft-faced twill, warp-faced twill, and Panama weave. Patterns are usually created through striped or check effects using colored yarns. However, since the two-pedal system limits weave movements and pattern complexity, decorative motifs have historically been added using the Cicim technique, borrowed from the kilim tradition. In later phases of modernization, the Ajur technique—produced by twisting warp threads in groups during weaving—was also occasionally employed.

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By converting this system into a four-pedal mechanism, Neziroğlu discovered that many region-specific fabrics could be woven in a double-layered structure, reinforced with lining warp and weft yarns, without compromising their authenticity. This innovation is a concrete outcome of his advanced expertise in fabric structures and weaving techniques.

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In collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, he worked on Şile Bezi, a geographically indicated fabric renowned for its fine and semi-transparent texture. Previous thickening attempts had involved heavier yarns, which made the fabric resemble Buldan Bezi instead. Neziroğlu, however, became the first to install four-pedal looms in Şile. He designed a double-layered structure by weaving two separate Şile fabrics simultaneously and joining them at specific points. The result was a self-lined, double-layered fabric that preserved the original character of Şile cloth while achieving the desired density.

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When researching Üzümlü Dastarı, another geographically indicated fabric from Fethiye, Neziroğlu visited the region and consulted its most skilled weavers. He observed that the looms were built with unusually short treadles, forcing weavers to bend their knees unnecessarily. To solve this issue, he ergonomically redesigned the seating area of the looms. He also introduced the four-pedal system to Fethiye, conducting experimental studies that resulted in a new type of weave. This fabric was later named “FN Dastar” by the Fethiye Municipality.

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In Piraziz, Giresun, around 1,000 Karayaka sheep are shorn annually. Because of the coarse quality of their wool, the region had long relied on imported New Zealand wool, producing felt with a 70% New Zealand / 30% Karayaka blend. After learning this, Neziroğlu traveled to Giresun and produced felts made entirely from Karayaka wool, which he then used to design shoes and boots.

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Additionally, in his role as a consultant on Wearable Technologies at Bilişim Vadisi, he contributed to research demonstrating that wool helps protect the human body from the harmful effects of electrical pollution in urban environments. Building on these scientific findings, Neziroğlu continues to design innovative fabric structures that merge tradition with contemporary needs.