In variety lies pleasure. This premise applies to everything in life, from the most personal experiences to those we share with the world. In fashion this becomes not only a desire but also a necessity. We are constantly exposed to infinite stimuli, references, products and strategies; however, quantity is not necessarily a synonym of variety, and more often than not we have the feeling that this new piece, this new “trend”, this new campaign, we’ve already seen before. Landing in a city for the first time ever, in a country that has not been talked about as much as needed considering its history and cultural weight, somehow guarantees that our experiences, all of them, will be different. What Yerevan Fashion Week is doing is offering this sought-after variety, bringing us to the side of the world that is a mine waiting to be tapped and showcasing how when we look outside our borders, nothing is as repetitive as we think.
First thought upon leaving the hotel for the first time to explore the historical centre of Yerevan: “This is one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever been in.” When talking about Armenia, most people may not have much knowledge about it; some may know its importance as the first country in the world to adopt Christianity, while some others are perhaps aware of the several tragedies they've been victims of throughout their history. The quintessential avant-garde film, The Colour of Pomegranates, created by Sergei Parajanov, also comes from Armenia, although I'm sure many, despite knowing the film, don't know about this. With just a few descriptions, it is noticeable how this country has endless stories to tell. Its millenary heritage, culture and traditions have nourished and inspired many creative minds to try and tell them with their own words, and the Fashion and Garment Chamber of Armenia has been giving a space for the ones expressed through fashion to be told.
One thing, among the many others, we've learnt from our trips to fashion weeks outside of the usual ones is that there exists a highly collaborative and supportive ecosystem amongst countries that know they have a lot to offer and that also know that working together and lending their platform to each other is the best way to not only reach as wide of an audience as possible but also to get inspired and expand their cultural knowledge. Actually, our first taste of Armenia’s industry happened way back in May during Almaty Fashion Week, when we were able to discover the work of Manuk Aleksanya, who presented an outstanding collection deeply rooted in his culture but through a contemporary lens. It ended up being one of our favourite collections of the season and the perfect appetiser for our tasteful journey in Yerevan.
What has become the most important fashion event in the country is celebrating its third edition, although by the confidence in their proposal, it feels as if they've been doing this for years. The three-day programme combined not only shows but also talks, awards—like the one granted by Fashion Scout to young talent who also got to show their collections at the official runway—and cultural events, blending the proposals of their local talent with international ones from countries like Moldova, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, with shows of brands we are familiar with from their fashion weeks, like Zshaken and Azamat Somatov. The opening ceremony, which took place in the Grand National Gallery of Armenia, inaugurated the fashion week with the Shape of Manner exhibition.
In a space where fashion and art converse, the designers participating in the fashion week created exclusive pieces based on some of the artworks found in the museum with the purpose of being placed near them, making the elaborate looks blend with the paintings and the sculptures, building a cohesive narrative that adds depth to both disciplines. The museum offers a collection of artwork from all around the world, but the hidden gems rest on the floor dedicated to Armenian artists. Personally, I was not very aware of Armenian artists' work, but every single painting was breathtaking: the sensibility with which they capture nature, the aesthetic eye for portraying humans, from important figures to nameless faces, and the historical weight that can be felt in every frame. I encourage you to discover it.
In fashion, Armenians also have much to offer. Their style is distinctive; although most of the shows from local creators were different from each other in terms of concepts and references, it is evident the common thread is the one that starts weaving on their shared heritage and the one that gives them the strong, intense and confident aura that surrounds every proposal.
A brand that did particularly well in integrating the beauty of their country into their garments was Themis. Just some days before the show, we had the chance to visit one of Armenia’s wonders, the Symphony of Stones, the natural monument where the collision of volcanic rocks resulted in a geometric sort of mountain that defies the laws of gravity by resembling the pipes of an organ but upside down. Turns out this was the inspiration for Nelly Aghababyan, the founder of Themis, for this collection, one that translates the unique shape of the mountain into silhouettes, ways of layering, cutouts and even details like buttons, metallic pieces and prints. “The location carries the soul of our designs,” says Aghababyan, and they made sure to reflect it properly.
The beauty of nature was also an inspiration for Ruzane, the Armenian brand founded by Ruzanna Vardanyan in 2013, who saw beauty in the endless cycle of life, where decay is just another word for transformation and where every end means a new beginning. There's no better way to present a collection born from this idea than in the Yerevan Botanical Garden, where the greenery of the trees and plants blends with the delicate materials used for the construction of garments that share that subtle liveliness with the space. The textures, the blend of fabrics and the manipulations all seem like a tribute to the shapes and shades of nature through textiles. No matter if it's as dark as a life that ends or if it's as light as one that is beginning, it's all part of the cycle.
Renowned Armenian fashion stylist Gaia Gevorgyan debuted her brand Gaya as the closing act for this edition of Yerevan Fashion Week in what was probably the busiest show of the season. Under the name ARDZAGANQ, which means “echo” or “response” in Armenian, dark and strong pieces filled the runway. The garments, per se, were not. all dark in shades or strong in their construction; there were bright tones and flowy fabrics as well, but all of them carried that intense aura we talked about before, the one that fills Armenian air. With a gothic feeling that blends with traditional pieces that look surprisingly contemporary, the first show of the brand did well in making their presence be heard.
The loud cheers and the celebratory feeling of this closing show were the perfect ending for a successful edition of a fashion week that, as young as it is, is shaping to have a bright future ahead.
