At Parla, products are born from constant exchange between craftsmen within and across the workshops. With a factory that consists of multiple workshops under one roof Parla has developed into an environment where each workshop has its own ecosystem, fostering its own unique master-apprentice relationships and a sense of camaraderie. Designers also come into play, by working with the artisans side by side, questioning every curve, joint, and surface to balance beauty, comfort, and sustainability.
Our factory thrives on this daily flow of visits, conversations, and problem-solving between each Parla employee, therefore what makes our work original is not a solitary genius, but the collective rhythm of hundreds of skilled people creating and building together. One of the persons who really believes in this style of working is our lead upholsterer, Özcan Köse.
Parla is Özcan’s 9th workplace, but the one he has stayed for the longest.
Ozcan began working on upholstery at the age of 16 at a well-known company in his hometown of Trabzon, located in the Black Sea region of Turkey.
After moving to Istanbul with his family, he began working at a workshop located just across from the current Parla factory. After hopping from one workshop to another, he found a temporary 4-month contract job at the Parla factory.
He recalls the very date he started working at Parla: January 7, 2011. His first assignment was joining the team behind Parla’s largest bespoke project at the time, the Hilton Hotel in
Bodrum, Turkey’s most popular summer destination. Özcan says, “If you look at it now and compare it to our current projects, Hilton wasn’t that
big. But it was definitely big at the time.” Back then, 9 years ago, the whole of Parla was a small family of only 27 people. Today, Özcan leads an upholstery workshop where more than 30 skilled craftsmen bring designs to life.
When he speaks about his colleagues, it’s not just about work, and solving furniture related problems. He talks about friendships forged through countless hours spent side by side in the workshop and bonds that extend far beyond the factory walls, strengthened by shared passions and time together after hours.
“One of the activities we have done many times has been to go camping in Tekirdag, at a site next to the sea, but also surrounded by mountains. When we go camping, we pack up and leave on Friday after work. Upon arrival, we set up our tents, spend three days camping and come back Sunday evening to get ready for another week of work.”
That same spirit of camaraderie is reflected in the workshop, where challenges are embraced rather than avoided. When asked about what he likes about upholstery, Özcan answers, “the challenge.”
“Upholstery is extremely enjoyable, even more when it comes to more complicated designs. For example, the Loop armchair… I remember three of us trying to get a hold of the armchair that is so rounded to complete the upholstery.” He explains that the smaller the design, the more difficult it becomes to execute, as every tiny detail demands extra care. Upholstery, he adds, often involves trial and error. Sometimes the frame of a piece doesn’t match the chosen fabric, and adjustments are needed.
In those moments, he collaborates closely with Ali Yıldırım, whom we have featured in the first part of our “The Hands behind Parla” series, to find solutions through the frame of the piece that make the design come to life.
The values Özcan reflects on are deeply woven into Parla’s identity. Strong bonds between colleagues and collaboration across every department are not just part of the process but the foundation on which Parla’s past was built, its present thrives, and its future grows.
