In 1942, Ali Kırcı migrated to Turkey from Bulgaria with only a handbag, bringing his tailoring craft with him. The sorrow of what was left behind or the uncertainty of the future never discouraged him. His sons Mustafa and Hasan always supported their father, and this success story has reached the present day with the third generation.

Loved by his employees and nicknamed “Hacı Baba” for his affection toward people, Ali Kırcı supported his family by tailoring for many years. His sons, Mustafa and Hasan Kırcı, worked as apprentices in their father’s tailor shop after school. Their main task was to cut the patterns drawn by their father.

In 1955, Hasan Kırcı dismantled a sheepskin coat, created its pattern and sewed his first “gocuk.” At that time, modern garments such as raincoats, overcoats and jackets were not common; the “gocuk,” highly resistant to rain and cold, was a favorite garment in Anatolia. Ali Kırcı and his sons started searching for new models and continued to create different “gocuk” designs from processed leathers. Coats with fur collars were especially admired, and soon the “gocuk” produced by Hacı Baba and his sons became well-known in the Anatolian market.

KIRCILAR A.Ş
In 1968, with the support of their father Ali Kırcı, brothers Mustafa and Hasan founded “Kırcılar Company.” Ali Kırcı, who had entered the leather business in Bursa’s Bat Bazaar in the 1950s, stepped aside to pave the way for his sons and opened a furniture shop in 1968. From then on, KIRCILAR would rise on the shoulders of Mustafa and Hasan Kırcı, who joined forces to embrace a global vision.

In 1960, Mustafa and Hasan Kırcı traveled abroad for the first time and decided to promote their company internationally. The first export was carried out to Germany in 1971, leading to worldwide recognition of the KIRCILAR brand. In 1972, the company produced jackets for the Hamburg police, later marketing its products especially to Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom, becoming a recognized brand in Europe.

With its first store opened in Bursa Heykel in 1983, Kırcılar started to become known for its quality in the domestic market. The first out-of-town store opened in İzmir Selçuk under the name Leather Art in 1994, marking the first link of the Kırcılar store chain. Opening a store in Istanbul Zeytinburnu in 1990, KIRCILAR took its first steps toward becoming a national brand in the domestic market. Closely following the ever-changing world dynamics, the company increased its production capacity tenfold as its products gained popularity in the Russian market. Designing collections for the U.S. market as well, KIRCILAR built a strong image with its high-quality products there. The 2000s marked a much faster expansion period for Kırcılar’s retail network, with Interstore in Istanbul and Leather and Leatherium stores in Kuşadası opening.