One of the multiple attributes of fashion is its ability to embody the history and traditions of each country and culture. We use the main four cities as a point of reference due to their significant influence on the industry and their undeniable financial weight on it; however, on a broader global scale, each city across the world has its own unique history and ongoing fashion story that deserves to be told. It's always thrilling to discover new talent as well as learn new ways of living in countries far from ours, and Kazakhstan is the most recent place where we felt such excitement and joy. During the tenth edition of Visa Fashion Week Almaty, we discovered a place that loves creating, loves their country, and loves sharing it with the world.
We already had a sort of idea of what to expect when landing in Almaty, not only from colleagues who have shared how this city is one of their favourites when it comes to discovering emerging designers and blooming talent, but also from the CEO of the fashion week himself, Bauyrzhan Shadibekov, who hinted at an experience where we would be able to witness multiple and unique interpretations of the country's tradition with a modern approach. Well, what we found after a good amount of days breathing Kazakh air is a hidden gem that we hope gets discovered by the world as soon as possible.
The Visa Fashion Week Almaty was born ten editions ago with the goal of sharing what the Central Asia region has to offer while encouraging local talent and creating new opportunities for them to share their stories and crafts. With a steady growth that reaches new highs with every season, the level of excitement and genuine care for fashion not only from the industry members but also by the assistants and enthusiasts was a great surprise. With a diverse audience where the international invites, local celebrities, members of the press, fashion lovers, designers, models, and even pop idols mingle with an ease not so frequently found in this sort of event—explained by the unique warmth and kindness of Kazakh people—the energy at all times was high and thrilling, with not a single dull moment.
The idea of having a specific time sloth marked in the schedule for the street style says a lot about the interest in fashion from this side of the world, where assistants have basically their own runway to exhibit their best looks that range from currently trending outfits and pieces of the most popular brands to perfectly blended showcases of traditional pieces of their culture with a modern twist. Kazakhstan has a culture where the historical clothing and the zergerlyk—the art of jewellery making—are very notorious, impactful, and beautiful; therefore, when incorporating any piece from a necklace to an embroidered coat, a normal outfit is elevated not only in a stylistic and aesthetic sense but also in a meaningful and deeply personal way.
This blend of tradition with modernity jumps directly from the runways, as we could witness on the majority of the shows, where the different creators approach the craft with different lenses, styles, and influences, but where the common denominator is that specific essence of a strong sense of heritage, craftsmanship, and legacy. The proposal of Kamila Kurbani was a perfect representation of this, with a collection inspired by her fathers, Hashim Kurbanov, paintings dedicated to dervishes, members of Muslim religious order noted for devotional exercises. Taking recognisable silhouettes from the traditional cloaks and the tall felt hats, or sikke, Kurbani reinterprets them in unexpected fabrics and techniques, making use of patchwork, layering, deconstruction of traditional pieces, and altered proportions to induce an avantgarde sense to ancient notions, all with sustainable and high-quality materials, evident in the polished and high-end outcome.
Aiken Derbissaliyeva, the winner of the Next Designer Award with her brand Kimmin —an initiative started by Bauyrzhan Shadibekov to give a platform to emerging designers with the hopes of gaining visibility and expanding their professional network—has also tapped into her roots when creating, coming up with a collection that gives plenty of reasons to understand her victory on the contest. How I became who I was born is precisely that: a visual representation of respect and love for her ancestors and their nomadic, free, and independent lifestyle reflected on the ethnic themes, prints, and silhouettes but with a dark twist thanks to the wide silhouettes, the contrast of bright colours with deep dark ones, and an overall grunge vibe to it that establishes her personal style in what is her debut collection.
The collaboration between two big names of the Kazakh fashion scene, designer Tatyana Yan and photographer and entrepreneur Yan Ray, resulted in probably the most colourful and head-turning collection of the fashion week. The multiple and very different references of each part of this duo collided on their mutual love for colour, textures, and styles of different regions and eras, which translated into looks where everything is happening at the same time, with surprising combinations of fabrics, styles, and silhouettes that, instead of resulting in confusion, transmit a sense of fun and joy that describes very well what fashion must feel like. There are multiple angles to creating, and doing so with the main goal of having fun without taking oneself too seriously is a very honest approach in an era where there’s an urgent need to escape our reality.
Fuzzz, a brand with a highly technical and functional vision of fashion, has probably the most wearable and useful on the day-to-day proposal of this edition, being also a breath of fresh air and disruption amongst the shows, with a statement runway where models strut angrily and crash amongst each other. With a multicultural background and a realistic and grounded feeling to them, Mimicry was inspired by something as mundane but as rich as the local bazaars, places filled with all sorts of textures, sensations, and influences that are reflected not only in an explicit way, with the fabric choices, for example, but also in the implicit intentions behind the collection, where the chaotic order and the raw and true passion result in equally raw, straightforward, and effective garments. The integration of the BOA quick lacing system into hats and clothing, most commonly found in sports and work shoes, grants the pieces to not only look good but to also feel good, making clear that comfortability is just as important as aesthetics.
A regular, anticipated, and beloved face was in charge of closing the fashion week with a theatrical show, with a dance performance and confetti explosions included. Designer and businessman Zhsaken has presented his proposals during this fashion week on many occasions, and his vision must really align and be understood by the audience, explaining the unique energy and excitement that could be felt as the show went by. With Yves Saint Laurent’s muse Jacques de Basher as his main source of inspiration, the collection was a showing of Parisian elegance and bohemia with flamboyant yet tasteful silhouettes and classic fabrics like velvet, silk, and organza that can never go wrong. In our interview, Bauyrzhan told us how he would like us to feel inspired and satisfied after leaving Kazakhstan, and we left feeling all of this and more. The doors to a different but rich creative world have been opened to us, and we can't wait to cross them again.