Reportage photography
Mehti Gul
Meet Mehti Gul, a tailor from Turkey who has been practicing his passion since 1972. He currently resides in a cozy little town called Aabenraa in the southern part of Denmark, with his lovely wife.
experience
Mehti learned the tailoring trade in Turkey as a young man. In 1977, he moved to Denmark where he worked in various factories, picking up skills such as washing and dyeing clothes. His work experience in factories allowed him to learn more about the manufacturing process, which proved to be valuable when he started his own tailoring shop in 1996.
His story
Mehti’s first shop was located on “Sønderport” street and was a tiny 9 square meters. After three years, he moved to a larger store on “Skibbroen,” which was 45 square meters. Finally, he bought his current store, which is attached to his house on Nygade 67.
Not only did Mehti run his business, but he also raised two sons with his wife. His sons are both currently studying in college in Denmark’s major cities. Mehti is proud of his sons and wants to continue working for at least five more years so that he can support them as they finish up their studies.
life
Today, May 5th, is Mehti’s birthday. When I asked him if I could document him and his work, he kindly replied, “Sure, just come on over.” I took some pictures when I visited him, and Mehti mentioned that he’s over 60 now and starting to feel the effects of all his hard work on his body. However, he remains passionate about tailoring and wants to continue working as long as possible. He even offered me coffee and some dates, reflecting his warm and hospitable nature.
