Bassepi is the fledgling brand of Derin Koc, a company founded more than a decade ago in Turkey and specializing in quality leather goods primarily for the Turkish market. “The brand’s debut took place at Mipel last September in Milan, but it was at Gardabags that we presented the collection to large international retailers. What sets us apart is an organization of production that is inspired by my past experience as a product manager in large industrial realities such as Fiat, Indesit, Ferrari and Maserati, and that treasures my current position as president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Izmir, combined with Turkish craftsmanship tradition and quality materials.” Bassepi aims to establish itself as a brand with an international outlook and a strong sustainable footprint. “Today, however, we mainly work on behalf of third parties through our company BSP Bag, with a production capacity of up to 3 thousand pieces per month.”
How is your production characterized?
We specialize in genuine leather goods, and in natural and sustainable materials such as raffia, cotton, and shearling. We pay particular attention to the choice of materials and processing, which in many cases is done by hand and involves mostly women, with significant implications on the social front as well. We pay close attention to the working conditions in our factory, which fully reflect the most modern European parameters (lean manufacturing).
What are your target markets?
Our main customers are small chains and boutiques in countries such as Japan, the U.S. (Los Angeles in particular) and Australia. The Japanese market, specifically, is very interested in the sustainable aspect of our production and the line made from natural materials. About 60 percent of our production is for the local market, where we have important customers such as the Beymen chain of stores. We aim, however, with the new brand Bassepi to grow the foreign market, also through participation in international fairs such as the one in Riva del Garda.
What is your impression of this first exhibitor presence at Gardabags?
We are very satisfied. We have had important contacts with foreign companies, Japanese and American mainly, but we also met buyers from Dubai and Europe (from Croatia and Poland), who were very interested in Turkish production. Turkey, in fact, has become more and more of a reference for footwear and leather sourcing after Covid and the consequent increase in transportation costs and the slowdown in production and deliveries from the Far East following the various lockdowns. Turkey also has a long manufacturing tradition, quality materials – starting with leathers – and enjoys an optimal position as a ‘bridge’ between East and West. In our case, we have combined these ‘pluses’ typical of the country with an efficient and modern production organization, inspired by the great European industrial realities. We are, thus, able to offer high quality production at very competitive prices, but also small quantities and very fast delivery times, an increasingly important service for companies operating in the online business.
