...when the Government stops fleecing it's populace; fashion develops
Georgia is a rich tapestry of myths and
hidden histories both ancient and modern. One of the first Christian
nations, the language is unique (as old as Latin); as is the beautiful
curving script that makes navigating Tbilisi on foot both magical and
bewildering (no Moscow-style Cyrillic/European street signs for the
Georgians). They have been making wine for 8,000 years, and it is the
land of the Golden Fleece, sought by Jason and the Argonauts. 
It was the wealth of gold in the area that inspired this tale;
Georgian pioneers used fleece to sift gold dust from the rivers since
ancient times. They have Europe’s tallest mountains and the world’s
deepest cave, temperate rain forests and glaciers, 200 mineral springs
and the Black Sea. This is all in a country only 26,911 square miles in
size with a population less than the city of London. Mythology aside, Georgia has a rich heritage of creativity. They had their renaissance in the 11th century, and despite invasions by the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Seljuk Turks, Ottoman Turks, Persians and Russians they have fiercely protected their culture. Georgia sits on the axis between East and West, and their theatre, dance and literature reflect this: not quite European but neither wholly Asian. The Black Sea was the gateway to Europe on the Silk Road and unsurprisingly – given that position slap bang in the middle of this great route for textiles, dyes, jewellery and leather – costume has been central to Georgian identity for centuries.
Georgian fashion expatriates David Koma and Tata-Naka are well know
in the UK and whilst their work doesn’t smack of obvious Georgian
references there are subtle hints to their nationality. Koma’s work,
sculptural with heavy embellishment, is not unlike the tapered waists,
full skirts and heavy accessorising of traditional dress. His use of
leatherworking in his Autumn/Winter 2010 and Spring/Summer 2012
collections echoes another age-old Georgian skill. Tata-Naka’s intricate
prints parallel the detail of Persian design in the South Caucasus and
their Spring/Summer 2012 collection is inspired by another Georgian
passion, dancing.
Georgia’s love of dance and theatre has a huge impact on their
fashion industry. The local theatre school is Tbilisi’s ‘St Martins’,
students loitering outside campus smoking and exhibiting their version
of street style. It is a huge honour to design for the theatre, and
designers often supplement their practice by producing costumes for
Georgia’s myriad and prestigious theatres. Designer Simon Machabeli studied costume design before starting his MA in fashion at Central Saint Martins and his Spring/Summer 2010 collection, shown at Tbilisi Fashion Week, reflected this. Models were suspended from the ceiling of the venue, walking across the wall as if traversing a vertical catwalk dressed in layers of kaleidoscopic colour with distinctive chunky silhouettes and elements of bricolage.
I visited his studio in downtown Tbilisi to be greeted by a supra, a smorgasbord of Georgian delicacies washed down with wine. His practice is embryonic, like many young Georgian designers he sells his clothes privately or produces one-offs. There is not yet enough domestic faith in Georgian fashion; nor the textile manufacturing industry to make large runs feasible.
New York-based Uta Bekaia is also known for his drama. Predominantly a
costume designer and installation artist, he shows at Tbilisi Fashion
Week under the label Uta Levan. Irakli Nasidze, a Georgian designer
working out of Paris, experiments heavily with textiles and presents
theatrical collections supported with props, body paint and spectacle.
His play with headwear and facemasks harks back to traditional Georgian
veils and headscarves. 
Copenhagen-based George Shaghashvili produces multi-functional
androgynous pieces, which are as much about the polymorphic presentation
as the practical uses. Young designer George Keburia is another great
example of this trend; his 2010 collection featured a 3-headed PVC dress
and a PVC centaur suit.
Similarly Nino Chubinishvili’s
reputation rests on her theatricality with presentations built on
musical performances and theatricality. During the 90’s she was part of
the Akhalgazrduli (Youth Club) group, whose experimental fashion
performances formed a central building block of the nascent Georgian
fashion industry following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, the model was unsustainable, with systematic government
corruption, civil war and lack of basics such as electricity making it
impossible to produce clothes, let alone stage a fashion show. The Rose
Revolution followed in 2003 and finally the South Ossetia War in 2008.
Georgian designers had to wait until 2010 for a new platform to present
their work.
Georgian Fashion Week was founded with the support of the wife of the head of the Georgian Parliament, which brought access to public funds with the aim of encouraging tourism to the region. It has lasted two years and following regime changes has an uncertain future, but Tbilisi Fashion Week, started in 2011, now provides the main showcasing opportunity.
The young designers of Georgia have begun to embrace their past.
Student work included Lika Kubaneishvili’s award-winning collection
influenced by the shape and layout of Georgian churches, whilst Nicolas Grigorian
draws on the heritage of leatherworking to produce elegant and detailed
silhouettes referencing Georgian folk dress. Other young designers,
such as Lasha Devdariani,
Ana Movesian and Djaba Diassamidze, reveal the East and West duality of
Georgian design with flowing shapes and hints of European sexuality.
Although being a young designer in Georgia is a struggle, the Tbilisi
Academy of Arts is doing its best to prepare the next generation. The
fashion course was established in the 1960s when the Arts Academy was
one of three in the entirety of the Soviet Union.
At that time, the coursework was monitored by Moscow and unfortunately, the teaching style has not moved on much since those times. Students use soviet-era textbooks, and funding issues mean the textile studio uses a small portable hob to prepare their dyes. Students are not taught the business side of the operation and struggle to come up with models that will sustain their practice.
There are other post-Soviet affects on the fashion industry. Following independence, the infrastructure for industry collapsed, thus there are few factories in country where young designers can have their work produced in large quantities. There are a limited number of highly skilled seamstresses in the country and scarce training opportunities. This all affects the quality of the work constructed.
The country is doing surprisingly well considering events of the last
20 years. The economy is recovering, partially as a result of the same
minerals that drew traders and Argonauts to the region two thousand
years ago. There is great optimism about the new government and the
incumbent Prime Minister has a track record in cultural philanthropy.
There is a vibrant fashion scene here, uniquely Georgian yet potentially
with global appeal. However, for Georgian fashion to gain a higher
profile some of this ‘gold’ needs to be invested in the creative
industries.
However, the model was unsustainable, with systematic government
corruption, civil war and lack of basics such as electricity making it
impossible to produce clothes, let alone stage a fashion show. The Rose
Revolution followed in 2003 and finally the South Ossetia War in 2008.
Georgian designers had to wait until 2010 for a new platform to present
their work. Georgian Fashion Week was founded with the support of the wife of the head of the Georgian Parliament, which brought access to public funds with the aim of encouraging tourism to the region. It has lasted two years and following regime changes has an uncertain future, but Tbilisi Fashion Week, started in 2011, now provides the main showcasing opportunity.
The young designers of Georgia have begun to embrace their past.
Student work included Lika Kubaneishvili’s award-winning collection
influenced by the shape and layout of Georgian churches, whilst Nicolas Grigorian
draws on the heritage of leatherworking to produce elegant and detailed
silhouettes referencing Georgian folk dress. Other young designers,
such as Lasha Devdariani,
Ana Movesian and Djaba Diassamidze, reveal the East and West duality of
Georgian design with flowing shapes and hints of European sexuality. 
Although being a young designer in Georgia is a struggle, the Tbilisi
Academy of Arts is doing its best to prepare the next generation. The
fashion course was established in the 1960s when the Arts Academy was
one of three in the entirety of the Soviet Union. At that time, the coursework was monitored by Moscow and unfortunately, the teaching style has not moved on much since those times. Students use soviet-era textbooks, and funding issues mean the textile studio uses a small portable hob to prepare their dyes. Students are not taught the business side of the operation and struggle to come up with models that will sustain their practice.
There are other post-Soviet affects on the fashion industry. Following independence, the infrastructure for industry collapsed, thus there are few factories in country where young designers can have their work produced in large quantities. There are a limited number of highly skilled seamstresses in the country and scarce training opportunities. This all affects the quality of the work constructed.
The country is doing surprisingly well considering events of the last
20 years. The economy is recovering, partially as a result of the same
minerals that drew traders and Argonauts to the region two thousand
years ago. There is great optimism about the new government and the
incumbent Prime Minister has a track record in cultural philanthropy.
There is a vibrant fashion scene here, uniquely Georgian yet potentially
with global appeal. However, for Georgian fashion to gain a higher
profile some of this ‘gold’ needs to be invested in the creative
industries.
1 comment:
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