Touker Suleyman

Touker Suleyman
Born 4 August 1953
Cyprus
Occupation Businessman

Touker Suleyman (born 4 August 1953) is a Cyprus-born 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.

Early life

Mr Touker Suleyman was born in Cyprus on 4 August 1953.[1][2][3] After moving to the UK he attended Peckham Manor secondary school.[1]

Career

Low Profile Group

In 1984 Touker 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.[1][4]

Hawes & Curtis

In 2001 Low Profile Group acquired Hawes & Curtis for £1.[5][4] Turnover at Hawes & Curtis rose from £600,000 in 2001 to £30m in 2014.[5]

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.[6]

Ghost

In 2008 Touker Suleyman purchased UK fashion label Ghost after its owner, KCAJ, an Iceland investment fund, cut investment following the collapse of the Icelandic banking market.[7] The acquisition safeguarded 142 jobs across the company.[7] In 2009 the label announced its first collaboration with design duo Modernist.[8]

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.[4][9]

Dragons' Den

In 2015 Touker Suleyman was chosen to join the investors' panel on the 13th series of BBC television programme Dragons’ Den, alongside Nick Jenkins and Sarah Willingham.[10]

Personal life

Touker Suleyman lives in London, UK, and has two children.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 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.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Berwin, Lisa (7 August 2008). "Fashion addict". Retail Week. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Mr. Touker Suleyman". Find The Company. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Burn-Callander, Rebecca (21 Jan 2014). "'X Factor for new firms’ founded by Ghost boss". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Howarth, Jo (25 November 2014). "Interview with an FD; Sam Nesan". FD Recruit. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "British shirtmaker to open 26 stores across Gulf". Retail News. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 O’Brien, Rachel (31 October 2008). "Businessman saves fashion label Ghost from collapse". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Modernist unveils new Ghost story". Drapers. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Touker Suleyman". Company Check. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Dragons' Den hires three new, er dragons for new series". BBC. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.