The Turkish-American designer Peyman Umay had been on top of the world just before getting the horrific news that two earthquakes had caused massive fatalities and destruction in his homeland of Turkey.
Reached in his hometown of Mersin, Turkey, on Friday, Umay said, “I was on top of the world and I am so sad now. Life is like a heartbeat. When you think about it literally, when your life stops, your life is done. And it is also figuratively like a heartbeat — you go up and you go down, up, down, up, down. But it is the same line going up and down.”
The power of the earthquake and aftershocks lasted for nearly two minutes, he said. Further complicating the situation was that it occurred at pre-dawn, when most people were sleeping and had no time to clamor for proper outdoor clothing for the wintry weather, Umay said. Having spent three days in Hatay, the city that was hardest hit, he said, “It looks like an atomic bomb hit it. The buildings that survived are uninhabitable. You can’t live in them.
His donations are tops and bottoms in cold-resistant, windproof, heavy fabrics for adults and children. To make the children feel alive, he opted for colorful fabrics such as yellows, purples, oranges and lilacs. Some of those hues are doubly productive since bright colors like yellow are known to be easily identified, Umay said, explaining that is why
Having extended his plans to return to the U.S., the designer said he now expects to fly back in a few days. Through the New York-based nonprofit Turkish Philanthropy Funds, he will continue to coordinate help. Having received “so many calls” from clients and people and companies that he works with offering support and their condolences, Umay said he has lost a couple he was friendly with who recently were married.
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