Touker Suleyman

Touker Suleyman

Suleyman in 2015
Born Türker Süleyman
(1953-08-04) 4 August 1953
Famagusta, Cyprus
Residence London, England
Occupation Businessman
Net worth Increase £150 million (2015)
Children 2

Touker Suleyman (born Türker Süleyman;[1] 4 August 1953) is a multi-millionaire Turkish Cypriot British business magnet fashion retail entrepreneur and investor. In 2001, his company Low Profile Group purchased UK shirt maker Hawes & Curtis, and in 2008 he purchased UK fashion label Ghost. More recently, he has invested in a number of start-up companies including Bikesoup and Huxley & Cox.

In 2015, The Sunday Times listed Suleyman as 637th in its Rich List, estimating his fortune to be £150 million.[2][3]

Early life

Suleyman was born in Famagusta on 4 August 1953, into a Turkish Cypriot family.[4][5][6] After moving to England, he attended Peckham Manor secondary school.[4]

Career

Low Profile Group

In 1984, Suleyman acquired a small cash-and-carry business which subsequently became Low Profile Group, a clothing manufacturer supplying UK retail stores including Marks & Spencer. The company’s factories are based in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Georgia.[4][7]

Hawes & Curtis

In 2001, Low Profile Group acquired Hawes & Curtis for £1.[8][7] Turnover at Hawes & Curtis rose from £600,000 in 2001 to £30m in 2014.[8]

As of 2014, Hawes & Curtis operates from 30 branches in the UK and one in Cologne, Germany. In 2013, UAE investment group Korath Holding signed a $5m deal to open 26 Hawes & Curtis stores across the Gulf over a period of five years.[9]

Ghost

In 2008, Suleyman purchased UK fashion label Ghost after its owner, KCAJ, an Icelandic investment fund, cut investment following the collapse of the Icelandic banking market.[10] The acquisition safeguarded 142 jobs across the company.[10] In 2009 the label announced its first collaboration with design duo Modernist.[11]

Other investments

Alongside Ghost, Touker Suleyman has invested in Docks Rio, a casual boat shoe brand; Intelligent Futures, an online advertising start-up; Huxley & Cox, a manufacturer of luxury handbags; and Bikesoup, an online marketplace for bicycles in which he invested £100,000 for an undisclosed stake.[7][12]

Dragons' Den

Main article: Dragons' Den

In 2015, Suleyman was chosen to join the investors' panel on the thirteenth series of BBC television programme Dragons' Den, alongside Nick Jenkins and Sarah Willingham.[13]

Personal life

Suleyman lives in London and has two daughters.[3][5]

References

  1. "Türker Süleyman Dragon's Den'de". Kıbrıs Postası. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  2. "Rich List 2015: if you're worth £100 million, join our club". The Sunday Times. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Meet the new Dragons: Sarah Willingham, Touker Suleyman and Nick Jenkins". Radio Times. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Blackhurst, Chris (20 March 2015). "Touker Suleyman: Dragon's role for clothing king who came back from a £20m burning". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 Berwin, Lisa (7 August 2008). "Fashion addict". Retail Week. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  6. "Mr. Touker Suleyman". Find The Company. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Burn-Callander, Rebecca (21 Jan 2014). "'X Factor for new firms' founded by Ghost boss". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. 1 2 Howarth, Jo (25 November 2014). "Interview with an FD; Sam Nesan". FD Recruit. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  9. "British shirtmaker to open 26 stores across Gulf". Retail News. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  10. 1 2 O’Brien, Rachel (31 October 2008). "Businessman saves fashion label Ghost from collapse". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  11. "Modernist unveils new Ghost story". Drapers. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  12. "Touker Suleyman". Company Check. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  13. "Dragons' Den hires three new, er dragons for new series". BBC. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
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