Tell us about yourself. Where are you from and where do you live now?
Hi, I'm Sophia Demirtas. I was born in Haiti and grew up in the United States. Since 2013, I have been living in Turkey.
What did you do career wise before starting your brand?
I have a masters degree in Social Work where I worked as a shelter manager in NYC for one year. It was a great experience, but I realized very soon that this career path was not for me. I started my own business in 2004 selling designer brand dresses on Ebay. After coming to Turkey in 2013, I started making my uniquely designed jewelry and sold them online. At the same time I was designing dresses.
Describe your brand. When did you launch? Where are you based? Why did you start it?
Fanm Mon was established in 2013 making and selling my unique jewelry. Within the same year we also opened our clothing atelier in Ukraine, making our first dress/blouse designs. Until COVID-19, we made our beautiful designs and dresses in Ukraine. Unfortunately, after the first year of the pandemic, we decided to move our atelier to Turkey due to raw material scarcity and traveling concerns. In March 2021, we opened our current Atelier in Turkey. I started my atelier/brand because I love designing unique pieces and at the same time making women feel happy wearing my dresses. When you try on one of my designs, you will feel the quality, femininity, chicness. This makes me very happy.
Congratulations on launching your latest collection! What was your inspiration? Favorite piece(s)?
I owe everything to Haiti! So extremely thankful to have been introduced to such vibrant energies from birth. As a child, my family, neighbors, and street vendors provided a daily canvas to question, feel, and create! The feminine energy was ever present growing up: bold colorful prints, embroidery, head ties, and cadence in every woman's step. It's mainly these memories that inspire my designs. Shop Fanm Mon on Modatrova here.
