Vitali Hakko

Businessperson

Death
11 December, 2007

Businessman and the founder of clothing stores (B. 1918, Istanbul – D. 11th December 2007, Istanbul). He launched his career as an apprentice to Spiros selling fabrics in Mahmutpaşa when he was thirteen. Later, he worked as a sales assistant in Kupidis Store, his dream store. He was ranked first in a showcase competition by arranging the showcases of other stores, including Kupidis's.

The year 1925 was a milestone in Vitali Hakko’s lifetime. Along with the Hat and Clothing Revolution declared by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Hakko was brought to life. He underpinned the Turkish ready-made industry with the sales that he made during these years. First, he opened the “Şen Şapka Mağazası (T.N. Happy Hat Store)” in Sultan Hamam in 1934, which enabled women to wear hats and made it fashionable and popularized it. When wearing hats began to go out of fashion, the store launched the scarf sales and was named as "VAKKO". Opened in Beyoğlu in 1962, that store became the largest one ever been opened in Turkey. Later on, Vakko started manufacturing printed clothes made of Turkish silk, becoming very fashionable with the sales abroad.  In later years, Vakko Company had more than 20 stores in Turkey. Vitali Hakko passed away at American Hospital in Istanbul in 2007. He was buried to the family graveyard in Ulus Jewish Cemetery. He talked about his life and memoirs in the book “Hayatım Vakko (T.N. My Life: Vakko)”.

RELATED BIOGRAPHIES

Show More