Vitali Hakko was born in 1913 in Istanbul. He had to leave school at a young age to help support his poor family. He apprenticed with his father as a carpenter and later worked in a fabric shop. In 1934, he opened a small hat shop called "Happy Hat" which grew into a global brand. He opened additional stores and expanded into clothing, becoming one of Turkey's most respected retailers. Hakko contributed to the management of his stores until his death in 2007 at age 94.