Kazakhstani designers debut at London Fashion Week

Kazakhstani fashion designers participated in Fashion Scout, the UK's largest showcase at London Fashion Week, Tengrinews reports.

A designer duo of Saule Dzhamil and Kira Maisheva with Pentatonica brand and designer Dinara Nurlan presented Fall/Winter collections on the London catwalk of Freemason's Hall on February 22. The Kazakhstani designers were invited to the London Fashion week after their success at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) in Almaty.

“I presented my debut collection at the MBFW last year. As a winner, I got an opportunity to present my collection at Fashion Scout. I will show my Fall/Winter collection Herbarium. When I was looking for a theme, I was going through different books and came at a leaf pressed between the pages. That was my inspiration for this collection. I purchased all the fabrics from Italy where I travelled for an exhibition,” Dinara Nurlan, a graduate of Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, said before the event.

In her collection Dinara focused on combinations of fabrics, volumes and shapes using earthly tones and knitwear to develop her idea of nature and flora. Embroidery and prints also added tracing images of plants. At the show she described the idea of her brand with words like modernity, individuality, quality, refined simplicity and organic minimalism.  

Commenting on her collection Tony Glenville, LCF Creative Director, said: ”This time we have more classic looks. And also print was strong in one collection.”

Almaty-based brand Pentatonica is a brainchild of Saule Dzhalil and Kira Maisheva. Pentatonica combines minimalism and femininity. In their collection titled Loneliness the Kazakh designers delved into the theme of loneliness in a big city and explored whether it is possible to turn the sensation into the feeling of comfort and even liberation through boosting energy and adding a creative drive.  

To create the image the duo used restrained but unsombre tones of greys, purples and dusky pinks that in combination with the design and style made their garments look confident and even regal.

“It's good to see that such young designers are able to grow and develop, become recognizable in a fashion world. They career is becoming more established. It gives them that start. So they grow with every season,” Tony Glenville said about the young designers from Kazakhstan after the show.  

By Gyuzel Kamalova and Tatyana Kuzmina