Vitali Hakko was born in Istanbul in 1913. He attended the school of the French (Jesuit) Frères until the age of ten, but in 1923, following the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, had to drop out because of his family’s financial troubles. At the age of thirteen, he began working in Mahmutpaşa, one of the busiest bazaars of the time, to contribute to his family’s income.
In 1934, Hakko founded a modest hat store called Şen Şapka (Merry Hat) and officially entered the fashion industry. In 1938, he expanded his business and began selling scarves. That same ye…