Turkish-American Designer Describes the Destruction Caused by the Earthquake in Turkey
The Turkish-American designer Peyman Umay had been on top of the world just before getting the horrific news that two earthquakes had caused massive fatalities and destruction in his homeland of Turkey.
A week or so after celebrating his redesign of Empire State Building workers’ uniforms by hitting the switch atop the landmark skyscraper, the Turkish-born, New York-based Umay returned to Istanbul for a media tour and to oversee production of his spring collection in facilities there. Still jetlagged from the international flight, he was already up and working at 4 a.m. GMT on Feb. 6, when his sister called crying hysterically to see if he was all right.
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Reached in his hometown of Mersin, Turkey, on Friday, Umay said, “I was on top of the world and I am so sad now. Life is like a heartbeat. When you think about it literally, when your life stops, your life is done. And it is also figuratively like a heartbeat — you go up and you go down, up, down, up, down. But it is the same line going up and down.”
Emphasizing the destruction that he has seen since the earthquake struck, Umay said it is “indescribable” and spans 11 cities with many buildings still at risk of collapse. After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called a state of emergency on Feb. 7, Umay felt compelled to help and contacted friends who work at AKUT, a Turkey-based search and rescue international organization. Volunteering was out of the question without any on-the-ground training first so Umay decided to do what he does best — produce clothing for the victims. Survivors without homes or shelters now run the risk of freezing to death under the current, snowy conditions without adequate aid, he said.
The power of the earthquake and aftershocks lasted for nearly two minutes, he said. Further complicating the situation was that it occurred at pre-dawn, when most people were sleeping and had no time to clamor for proper outdoor clothing for the wintry weather, Umay said. Having spent three days in Hatay, the city that was hardest hit, he said, “It looks like an atomic bomb hit it. The buildings that survived are uninhabitable. You can’t live in them. Either the whole block is gone or a wall is gone, or all cracked. You name it. They will need to rebuild the whole city.”
The 1,500 items of clothing that he has produced this month in Turkey for survivors is being distributed with help from one of the national relief organizations. Tents are set up in Istanbul for relief efforts which are being carried out by governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private individuals, athletic teams, businesspeople and more. “Everybody is connected in Turkey right now. Everybody is one soul, one heart. Turkish people are very strong. When it comes to disasters and hard times, they are connected now helping monetarily, physically — on every level,” Umay said.
His donations are tops and bottoms in cold-resistant, windproof, heavy fabrics for adults and children. To make the children feel alive, he opted for colorful fabrics such as yellows, purples, oranges and lilacs. Some of those hues are doubly productive since bright colors like yellow are known to be easily identified, Umay said, explaining that is why New York City taxis are yellow. For the numerous children who became separated from their parents during the earthquake, giving them yellow clothing could potentially help them to be reunited.
The United Nations launched a three-month $1 billion appeal last week to support humanitarian relief efforts in Turkey. But the designer stressed that “tens of billions” will be needed to rebuild the area. “I saw Hatay. It is like it has been wiped off the earth,” he said.
Having extended his plans to return to the U.S., the designer said he now expects to fly back in a few days. Through the New York-based nonprofit Turkish Philanthropy Funds, he will continue to coordinate help. Having received “so many calls” from clients and people and companies that he works with offering support and their condolences, Umay said he has lost a couple he was friendly with who recently were married. “They were found in a brand new building that had collapsed, hugging each other in the debris. It is so sad.”
Looking ahead, Umay plans to continue to send weekly shipments to victims in Turkey and his Istanbul atelier has already been set up to produce 500 to 700 units to donate. Noting how entire cities will need to be rebuilt, Umay emphasized the need for a long-range strategy. “Very glad” that he happened to be in Turkey when the earthquake struck, Umay said he would have flown there right away had that not been the case. “It gives me a little relief that I was able to help right away,” he said. “But there are people who need food, shelter and clothing. I am trying to do my best and help with what I can do. Once I get back to New York I will see what we can do in a collaborative effort. This is going to continue. It is not going to end next week.”
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