Celet Family
DESA, the mother company of Celentano Artisans, is today one of the world's leading leather goods manufacturers, retailers and exporters. Since its establishment in 1972 by the Çelet Family, it has been offering fashion and quality to consumers as a retail company as well.
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DESA, who is the export champion in its field in Turkey and realizes 70% of Turkey's leather goods exports to Italy, operates as a company that processes its own leather in its own tannery. Thanks to its unique business model, the company has achieved its vertical integration over the years and is able to trace its raw material all the way to its origin; namely the farms where the livestock is raised. It keeps the social responsibility projects it carries out, at the center of its sustainability strategy.
Today, DESA has a tannery with a closed area of 20,000 square meters in Çorlu, a leather goods production facility with a closed area of 10,000 square meters in Düzce, a head office building of 18,000 square meters in Sefaköy, Istanbul, and a bag production facility with a closed area of 2,000 square meters, which opened its doors in Italy as a product development facility in 2023.
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The Çelet family that strives to incorporate social impact into its production activities, has invested in Düzce region to increase economic development and city welfare after the devastating earthquake that took place in 1999. Vocational training programs were organized for our young people working in difficult conditions in the fields, and expert craftsmen in leather products were trained over the years. To date, more than 5000 young people have been trained in Düzce, and 550 craftsmen continue to produce and export for both Desa and the world's important luxury brands.
The Çelet family added a new one to its pioneering work in the field of social sustainability and carried its 20 year positive impact in Düzce beyond the factory borders. The company focused on providing economic freedom to women who could not work in factories because they were engaged in house work or agriculture and animal husbandry. By designing products suitable for production without involvement of machinary and incorporating these activites under the umbrella of "Celentano Artisans", this vison was realized in 2024. More than 100 women were provided with vocational training and an employment opportunity.
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Today our women use their traditional craft skills and turn national materials such as raffia and leather waste into unique pieces. Women who produce Celentano Artisans bags and accessories utilize their skills and savoir-faire for World famous brands and increase the welfare of the region by contributing financially to their families.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROJECTS CARRIED OUT BY THE CELET FAMILY
“Every Knot is a Support for Women” Project
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Within the scope of contributing towards gender equality and equal opportunity, the "Every Knot Supports a Woman" project was implemented with the Foundation for the Evaluation of Women's Labor (KEDV). The aim was once again to encourage women into participating in economic activities and thus to facilitate their social and economic empowerment.
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Bags suitable for handcrafting were designed by DESA team and necessary materıals were sent to the women's cooperatives within KEDV. Instructional videos were also prepared by DESA team and women involved with the project were trained. Handbags handcrafted by women's cooperatives were put up for sale and part of the income was donated to KEDV. With the Every Knot Supports a Woman Project, employment, economic freedom and visibility in social life were provided to women.
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“A Knot For Goodness” Project
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Within the scope of the "A Knot for Goodness Project" organized by the Women-Friendly Brands Platform, the products produced by women who were affected by the earthquake that occurred in Hatay province in 2023 were given new life with leather touches. The unique products knitted by earthquake-affected women were reshaped with leather details in the hands of master designers in the "Life Again" special collection. These products, which were put up for sale in a special auction, provided a fund for private classrooms that women in need and students preparing for exams could use free of charge.
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“Esas Sosyal” Project
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Desa became the 8th and 9th term Corporate Supporter of Esas Sosyal's "First Opportunity with Şevket Sabancı Vision" program, which provides work experience to young people who have just graduated from state universities by providing them with the opportunity to work full-time in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for 12 months. With this program, it was aimed to prepare young people, who are the guarantee of the future, for business life and to create positive effects on society by creating equal opportunities for young people.
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Breast Cancer Touch, Hold on to Life (Breast Cancer Awareness) Project
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Within the scope of Breast Cancer Awareness Month between 1 and 31 October, women were called out with the motto "Touch, hold on to life" to raise awareness and awareness about breast cancer. An awareness seminar was organized in collaboration with the Cancer-Free Life Association. A call was made for “breast self-exam”, which is an important step in the diagnosis of breast cancer, which is common in women all over the world. Pink leather ribbon keychains designed and produced within the scope of the project were put on sale and the income generated was donated to the Cancer-Free Life Association.
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Community Volunteers Project
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In this project, which set out with the motto "A small support is enough to change life, because it is worth it to young people!" in order to support young people, all income obtained from the sale of coin purses with key rings was donated to the Community Volunteers Foundation. As part of the 'Value for Youth' campaign, 4,000 young people were supported for a year.
Sustainability in Human Resources
Our most valuable asset is the skilled craftsmen and women, who are at the core of our organization. Training new generations in the art of hand crafting luxury products is one of the greatest motivations of our organization.
The mother company, DESA, has an internal academy as well as very close links with Ministry of Education of Turkiye. In Duzce, more that 5,000 artisans have been trained in the internal academy. Prospective maestros, who attend high school and are interested in leather goods as a future career, are trained in special classes from the age of 16 and are introduced to the industry.
Similarly, also in her Italian factory, DESA has been organizing courses to train young people in the art of leather goods. All of the employees in the Tuscany factory have been trained by the experts of the company with collaboration of Regione Toscana and Randstad.