Good People of vitruta: Bahar Akbulut

Welcome, Bahar! You are the creator of a brand that we are very pleased to have at vitruta, so we know you very well. But let's introduce you to our followers as well. Who is Bahar Akbulut? How did you get started, and how do you continue?

I see myself as an entrepreneur who closely follows global trends in sustainability, changes in consumption habits, and their impacts on nature. My goal is to establish the necessary concepts and infrastructure to create the most ideal production for both nature and humans. After working in corporate management for a long time, I can say that the definitions that excite me most at this stage of my life are “entrepreneur” and “designer.”

Earlier this year, I founded a brand called Fine People Community, which consists of clothes made from 100% organic certified pure linen fabrics, with premium craftsmanship that is recyclable and vegan.

I am also an ICF-certified professional coach, and for the past five years, I have been managing a social responsibility project called “Umutlar Yeşersin” (Hope Grows), where we meet the basic needs of children with limited opportunities in villages to ensure they receive a good education, alongside the teachers who serve in these areas.

Would you like to tell us the story of Fine People? How did it come to life? What did you dream of, and what has been realized so far? What goals are ahead?

The idea of creating Fine People Community as a brand was born during the pandemic, which was perhaps the most challenging time of our lives. During this period, we truly turned inward for the first time and began reassessing our connections with those around us, with the society we are part of, with nature, living beings, and our true home, the world. All of this made us realize our 'real' needs, such as love, belonging, trust, and self-compassion, and how we tried to fill these needs with endless consumption.

At that point, we thought, there must be another way. We could create a community that would nourish us while also consuming what we need and make us feel good. This is why the 'FINE' in our brand name represents the state of being good in every sense and feeling good.

We chose all of our fabrics for production from 100% organic certified and pure materials; all of our products are vegan and recyclable. In addition, we designed a social responsibility project where every product purchased contributes to doing another good deed.

In this context, my initial dream was to bring together everyone who shares the same sensitivity, cares, and strives to take action on sustainability under the Fine People Community. In a short time, we achieved much more than I had imagined.

Next, we plan to announce our collaboration with the United States and take FINE to global levels with similar initiatives.

What inspires you when designing Fine People Community products?

For me, the most important inspiration is imagining the “feelings” that the products will create in the person wearing them. When I think about the emotions someone will experience when they touch a special and pure product from FINE, that guides me in the design process. The texture of the fabric, the feeling it gives when worn, the harmony of the colors, and the minimalism of the designs should all be in perfect harmony within a refined concept.

I also know that you practice coaching. Would you like to talk a bit about that?

I would love to! Although the concept of professional coaching is not very well-defined in Turkey, coaching is actually a personal development journey. In the sessions, the goal is to create awareness and, as a natural result, bring about change by asking the right questions within a specific methodology regarding a topic the person is struggling to solve or wants to discuss. Through this channel, I particularly enjoy working with women to help them empower themselves in their professional lives, discover their potential, and achieve the careers they desire.

If we were to ask you for book recommendations related to coaching, what would you suggest?

Actually, I can categorize my recommendations into a few groups:

For personal development:

• Debie Ford, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
• Alice Miller, The Drama of the Gifted Child

For leadership:

• Prasad Kaipa & Navi Radjou, From Smart to Wise
• Daniel Pink, Drive

And specifically for women:

• Catherine Kaputa, The Woman’s Guide to Branding
• Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In – Push Your Limits

Where do you spend most of your time in Istanbul? What are your favorite restaurants, bars, and cafes?

Since I live in Nişantaşı, I usually spend a lot of time at Sunday and Federal Coffee Company during the day, especially when I'm working. For a nice meal, Ahali, Fauna, Pera Thai, and Da Mario are some of the places that come to mind. Nardis Jazz Club is definitely my first choice for good music.

What are your 5 favorite brands at vitruta?

vitruta is a concept store that I am really happy to be a part of, bringing together truly sustainable and successful brands, so I can say that I love all the brands there. WWF Market, Tru, Vans, Roru Concept, and Hip + Happen are generally the brands I first check out.