“I want to cause a reaction with my collections,” says Levau Shvelidze, a 23-year-old fashion designer from Tbilisi, Georgia. Androgynous casting, slashed and distorted see-through dresses, belted limbs and bloody hatchets – Shvelidze’s Spring/Summer 2020 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi fulfilled the designer’s wish. The floating, gender-fluid, grotesque and theatrical show, titled The Interview with Death, brought Shvelidze’s pink and bloody nightmares to life and shined the spotlight on the oppressed queer communities in post-Soviet Georgia.
Having graduated from Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, Shvelidze participated in BeNext Fashion Design Contest in 2018 and set out to establish his own label, centred around his “ironic, postmodern, queer cosmos”. “My brand is all about activism, especially in LGBTQ+ matters, and I think that in such a conservative environment – in which individual’s self-expression and self-definition is profoundly limited – going against the artificial rules of behaviour is essential not only for our queer community but for our future development as a society”, the designer says.
The Spring/Summer 2020 show saw the non-binary cast – made up mainly of Shvelidze’s friends –screaming, stomping and trotting down the catwalk – blood dripping down their faces and bodies. The collection reimagines the bedtime stories his grandfather would make up when Shvelidze was a kid. “He would delight me with either Georgian folktales, or the tales invented by him, that were full of unreal, strong, smart, and beautiful creatures.” It also channels his infatuation with gothic novels and sci-fi films with their weird and wonderful “elves and fairies, witches and prophets, vampires and monsters”, materialising the feeling of fear they evoked in his garments. ‘Here is love, and here is death, lit by neon Komorebi.
The Spring/Summer 2020 show saw the non-binary cast – made up mainly of Shvelidze’s friends –screaming, stomping and trotting down the catwalk – blood dripping down their faces and bodies. The collection reimagines the bedtime stories his grandfather would make up when Shvelidze was a kid. “He would delight me with either Georgian folktales, or the tales invented by him, that were full of unreal, strong, smart, and beautiful creatures.” It also channels his infatuation with gothic novels and sci-fi films with their weird and wonderful “elves and fairies, witches and prophets, vampires and monsters”, materialising the feeling of fear they evoked in his garments. ‘Here is love, and here is death, lit by neon Komorebi.
Can you tell me a little bit about how you got into fashion? Have you always wanted to be a fashion designer?
I’ve been into fashion ever since I was a little kid. I used to look through mine and other people’s closets and I always had the sensation that I, too, was capable of creating. Consequently, I started painting, which opened a new door for me and allowed me to flesh out my abstract ideas. Thus, being in the fashion industry was always a no-brainer for me.
Tbilisi has recently risen to the international horizon because of its fashion and club scene. Where do you think this fascination with Georgian culture is coming from?
In terms of fashion, Sofia Tchkonia did so much to put Tbilisi on the map. Also, Demna Gvasalia’s international success drew many people’s attention to the city, and I guess the local designers didn’t let interested ones down either. As for the club scene, everybody who comes to Georgia for clubbing purposes notes that the kind of entertainment and the ambience they find in Georgia is unlike anywhere else. This unique vibe that Tbilisi possesses is due to music, the environment, people, and so on.
You have mentioned that your collection was partly inspired by the tales your grandfather used to tell you.
They’ve always been in my head. Mostly, he would delight me with either Georgian folktales, or the tales invented by him, that were full of unreal, strong, smart, and beautiful creatures. Growing up, I realised that I could incorporate these creatures into my work.
Who do you design for?
Honestly, I design for everybody who resonates with the garments I create and, at the same time, feels ready to be whoever s/he wants to be.
Tell me a little bit about the make-up looks.
Although I’m not a professional make-up artist, I take the plunge and create them myself because I want the characters I invent to be utterly experimental. I use every possible thing that I can to put on the face. I make some face pieces as well, and the creative process itself puts the entire work together.
What do you think is the cultural impact of putting a man in a dress in Georgia, which is still a very conservative country?
My brand is all about activism, especially in LGBTQ+ matters, and I think that in such a conservative environment – in which individual’s self-expression and self-definition are profoundly limited –, going against the artificial rules of behaviour is essential not only for our queer community but for our future development as a society. I want to cause a reaction with my collections, which is, I believe, the beginning of it all.
What are your plans and goals? What should we expect from Levau Shvelidze next?
Right now, I’m preparing for my next presentation at MBFW Tbilisi. Stay tuned, another gender-fucking collection is loading…
