As the trial of Saddam takes center stage, the Istanbul tailor who supplied Saddam with four custom made suits for the trial, all made from pure Turkish wool, is also making news.
As reported recently in the Christian Science Monitor and carried by my local paper The Orange County Register, Recep Cesur, founder of the "Cesur" label based in Istanbul, is an ethnic Kurd, who speaks Turkish, Persian, Kurdish, Arabic, French and Russian. Saddam is not his only well-known client. President Musharraf of Pakistan also wears his suits, as does Nelson Mandella. He has other clients in court - Tariq Aziz, Iraq's former foreign minister and Taha Yasin Ramadan, a former vice president.
The Iraqi Republic paid about $470 for each hand made suit fitted for Saddam. Since Saddam's court appearances, Cesur's sales, as well as prices have risen. It turns out his involvement with Saddam goes back a few years to when he started doing business in Baghdad in 1995. He's had large orders for Saddam and members of his family and inner circle each year and he's been very popular ever since.
"In Iraq, they don't know Armani," Cesur says. "They know Cesur."
