It-Kids is a new series in which Vogue Business spotlights the up-and-coming global talent brands need to know, in partnership with Launchmetrics.
Turkish talent is having a moment. Ahead of her final runway show for Versace, Donatella Versace posed alongside show attendee and Turkish actor Hande Erçel. Erçel is currently starring in Remember Love (Aşkı Hatırla), one of the many Turkish dramas to break beyond the region onto international screens. Türkiye is now reportedly the third largest exporter of scripted series, behind the US and the UK, according to data analytics firm Globaldata. There’s even a university course on Turkish TV dramas at Northwestern University in Qatar.
In recent years, luxury has cottoned onto the rapidly evolving impact of global talent. In particular, Asian talent, from South Korea’s K-pop stars to Thailand’s up-and-coming actors. During fashion month, South Korean and Southeast Asian talent often dominate when it comes to media impact value (MIV) and earned media value (EMV). But, in recent seasons, Turkish talents have begun emerging among some of the highest performers. In February, Erçel attended Balmain’s show as well as Versace’s, and was the 21st most impactful influencer in Milan, generating $1.25 million in EMV through just one post.
Brands are realising that reach should not be the sole priority when tapping talent, though. Fast-growing talent with niche, tapped-in audiences are on brands’ radars, despite often lacking million-plus followings. And if they’re not, they should be. Many rising Turkish talents fall into this bucket. With Türkiye’s luxury market expected to see significant growth through 2028, per Globaldata, brands would be wise to continue to target Turkish consumers.
Turkish talents tend to have global reach, as international consumers increasingly tune into Turkish television dramas (or dizi). Viewership is growing in countries like Spain, Italy and Portugal, according to industry insiders, alongside regional growth across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia-Pacific (on top of the Middle East and Latin America, where the shows first gained international traction).
Still, Turkish talents have so far secured less luxury brand deals than some of their international counterparts. This may be about to change. There’s a broad breadth of fast-growing talent, from actors and musicians to buzzy content creators — but Turkish ambassadors don’t generate as much branded activity, per Launchmetrics. This results in lower MIV overall, signalling that brands are yet to tap into their budding potential.
Here’s a list of some of the biggest Turkish names to watch, based on their social media followings, content and reach, per Launchmetrics’s growth and Voice Echo analysis.
Hüseyin Kaygusuz
Hüseyin Kaygusuz is a Turkish makeup artist. Despite working in the industry for years, his Instagram has only recently witnessed high growth, as global interest in Turkish talent continues to surge. Kaygusuze works with the likes of actor Cemre Baysel and creator Duygu Özaslan Mutaf. He’s also worked with Mac Cosmetics in the past, generating solid MIV for the brand.
Instagram content
Growth: 530.8 per cent
Instagram followers: 307,000
Known for: Makeup
Luxury brand affiliations: Guerlain (masterclass host)
Brand MIV: Mac Cosmetics — $690,000
Can Günhan (@Mr.TheCan)
Can Günhan, aka Mr The Can, is a luxury fashion, lifestyle and beauty influencer based in Istanbul. Known for the luxe unboxings of goods from brands including Cartier, Louis Vuitton (with whom he’s partnered) and Loewe, Günhan has cultivated an Instagram following with an interest in high luxury, with Reel views frequently in the millions.
Growth: 473.3 per cent
Instagram followers: 313,000
Known for: Social media
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: Louis Vuitton — $715,000
Hazal Subaşı
Hazal Subaşı is a Turkish actor and model who initially gained a following after securing the Miss Türkiye Supranational title in 2015. Since then, Subaşı has shifted to acting, and is best known for her roles in 2016 TV show Prisoner of Love (Adini Sen Koy) and the 2022 movie Hot Skull. Though she is yet to partner with a luxury brand, Subaşı’s locked in partnerships with Samsung, as well as a host of Turkish beauty brands. She’s also appeared on the cover of the Turkish editions of Marie Claire and Elle.
Instagram content
Growth: 458.9 per cent
Instagram followers: 2.5 million
Known for: Prisoner of Love; Hot Skull
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: N/A
Zeynep Özkaya
A child actor who shifted into content creation, Zeynep Özkaya made a return to acting this year, starring in the Turkish film Sihirli Annem: Hepimiz Biriz. A venture back into acting is likely to broaden Özkaya’s audience to a more international followership.
Instagram content
Growth: 125.7 per cent
Instagram followers: 1 million
Known for: Social media
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: Zara — $308,000
Zeynep Tuğçe Bayat
Zeynep Tuğçe Bayat is a Turkish actor best known for her role in Kuruluş: Osman, and currently stars in series The Shadow Team (Teşkilat). She also wrote and starred in the mini series Dunyayi Kurtaran Kadin. Bayat has appeared across the covers of local magazines, but is yet to break into international titles.
Instagram content
Growth: 124.3 per cent
Instagram followers: 1.3 million
Known for: Kuruluş: OsmanI; The Shadow Team; Love Trap; Baba
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: N/A
Zeynep Bastık
Zeynep Bastık is a Turkish singer-songwriter and dancer. Her song ‘Lan’ hit the Billboard Global Top 10 in 2024, generating international buzz. She worked on an advertising campaign with Adidas back in 2019, but is yet to work with international luxury players.
Growth: 113.1 per cent
Instagram followers: 2.1 million
Known for: ‘Lan’
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: N/A
Simay Barlas
Simay Barlas is a Turkish actor best known for her role in Wild Heart (Yabani), for which she won a Golden Butterfly Award (a Turkish acting award, sponsored by Pantene). Most recently, Barlas was in the TV show Shahrazad: Tears of Istanbul (Sen Ağlama İstanbul). Last year, she appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Türkiye, and has also featured in campaigns for Pantene as a brand ambassador.
Instagram content
Growth: 103.3 per cent
Instagram followers: 3 million
Known for: Wild Heart; Shahrazad: Tears of Istanbul
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: N/A
Aleyna Beyazgül
Aleyna Beyazgül is a Turkish content creator who focuses on fashion, beauty and lifestyle content. She boasts strong followings across TikTok and Instagram, and has worked with brands including Maybelline and Dyson in Türkiye.
Growth: 101 per cent
Instagram followers: 810,000
Known for: Social media
Luxury brand affiliations: Pandora (event attendance)
Brand MIV: Maybelline — $690,000
Pinar Deniz
Pinar Deniz is a Turkish actor known for Wounded Love, Love 101 and Family Secrets. She’s won multiple awards for the latter, in which she’s the lead. Deniz is a brand ambassador for L’Oréal, and has been since 2022. She’s also worked with Magnum, appearing at the brand’s Cannes Film Festival events over the last two years. Deniz has featured on the cover of the Turkish editions of Harper’s Bazaar and L’Officiel.
Growth: 77.9 per cent
Instagram followers: 3.4 million
Known for: Wounded Love; Love 101; Family Secrets
Luxury brand affiliations: L’Oréal (brand ambassador)
Brand MIV: N/A
Kaan Miraç Sezen
Actor Kaan Miraç Sezen is known for his breakout role in Six of Us and for Dilemma, Prime Video’s first Turkish original series. He currently features in Netflix’s Istanbul Encyclopedia. In July, he featured on the cover of the Turkish edition of Esquire.
Instagram content
Growth: 74.7 per cent
Instagram followers:
Known for: Six of Us; Dilemma; Istanbul Encyclopedia
Luxury brand affiliations: N/A
Brand MIV: N/A
A note on our methodology
ROI is established using Launchmetrics’s ‘Voice Echo’ tool, which measures ambassador content (direct impact), brand channels (owned media) and external amplification (indirect impact). The latter includes both verified publisher coverage and fan base posts. Growth is measured based on Q1 2025 versus Q1 2024.
Media impact value (MIV) calculates the monetary value of brand mentions across various voices and channels, including social media and publications. It helps to quantify brand visibility and campaign performance, while allowing for impact comparisons. Earned media value (EMV) is the monetary value of brand publicity or exposure that is gained organically via natural conversations and coverage — articles, blog posts, social media shares, reviews — rather than paid content.
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