Silva Erkoc and Buket Kantekin Taking Sima Couture from Duisburg to the World

The story of Sima Couture is closely connected with the vision of Silva Erkoc, who founded the house in Duisburg in 2011 and continues to guide its creative identity and collections. As founder and designer, she established the aesthetic foundation that has shaped the brand’s development for more than a decade. Buket Kantekin, Managing Director and co-owner of Sima München GmbH, complements that creative direction with a strong business perspective, overseeing the Munich location in Eching and maintaining relationships with an increasingly international clientele. Together with their family and team, they have built a fashion house where craftsmanship and expansion move hand in hand. 

From its beginnings as a single bridal boutique, Sima Couture has developed into an international network comprising four company-owned boutiques in Duisburg, Eching near Munich, Paris and Istanbul, together with more than 90 selected retail partners across 30 countries. The brand creates its own designs and manufactures its gowns in-house, offering made-to-measure services and individual customization. More than 400 gowns can be fitted at the 1,000-square-meter Duisburg flagship, while the Paris boutique presents over 400 models in a 600-square-meter setting. Consultations generally last approximately 1.5 hours, while a bespoke gown takes around three months to complete, with prices currently ranging from approximately €1,800 to €6,000. 

The international visibility of Sima Couture has been reinforced by appearances on celebrities, red carpets and fashion editorials. Georgina Rodriguez wore the brand for an L’Officiel Italia feature, while Daniella Chavez has also appeared in Sima Couture. At Cannes in 2023, Indian actress Urvashi Rautela made an impression in a dramatic pink tulle creation featuring an embellished bodice and layered skirt. Earlier, the house had also appeared at the Monte Carlo TV Festival, where Stephanie Durant selected a Sima Couture princess gown for the 2019 Golden Nymph Awards. 

In 2025, Cannes once again became a defining moment for the house when Angelique Angarni Filopon, Miss France 2025, appeared on the famous Cannes steps in a white Sima Couture gown based on her own design concept. Pearl details, sculptural draping and an asymmetric skirt transformed the concept into a distinctive red-carpet look created with the Sima Couture atelier. The brand simultaneously strengthened its position in the bridal sector through its official runway appearance at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, alongside more than 44 brands from 18 countries. Its relationship with Miss France also deepened, with the Paris team led by Nazli Mendes creating gowns for the 2025 competition and Sima Couture continuing as an official partner for Miss France 2026. 

The house’s growing international presence can also be seen at events such as the Leipziger Opernball, where Iryna Thater and Natalia Yegorova appeared in Sima Couture gowns, and through editorial collaborations such as Bruna Biancardi for L’Officiel England in 2026. Fifteen years after its first boutique opened, Sima Couture now reaches 30 countries through its own stores and retail network. Yet behind the numbers remains the philosophy established by Silva Erkoc: fashion should enhance individuality rather than overshadow it, allowing every woman to remain the defining element of the gown.