Karabakh Collection presented at Berlin Fashion Week
An extraordinary event within the scope of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin took place on January 18, Azertac reported.
Under the patronage and with the support of The European Azerbaijan Society Germany (TEAS), Berlin based young and fresh designer Leonie Mergen presented her new outstanding "Karabakh Collection" on the runway, which featured the theme and the culture of Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region in the center of the South-Caucasus.
In the presence of over 500 fashion industry professionals, fashion reporters and international guests the highly anticipated fashion show took place in historic Kaufhaus Jandorf in Berlin Mitte.
Leonie released her current collection, a series of pieces inspired by the rich traditional attire of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region.
The ensembles featured patterns reminiscent of the country’s famous tapestries, with signature necklines and sleeved capes making an appearance in both men's and women's clothing.
Azerbaijan’s legacy as a hub on the historical Silk Road and as a leader in horse breeding can be seen in Leonie’s designs, with equestrianinfluenced leather accessories and sophisticated silk elements playing an essential role in her collection.
The collection featured 26 stunning looks while traditional Azerbaijani mugham and instrumental music was playing in the background.
Leonie Mergen’s unusual and intercultural as well as technically skilled approach was highly appreciated by the attendees.
The audience was enthusiastic and celebrated the Karabakh Collection which represented a further milestone in the European Azerbaijan Society’s continuous efforts to raise awareness about the ongoing occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenian forces.
"The Karabakh Collection is a very interesting project for TEAS, and we were happy to give Leonie Mergen, a young Berlin designer, the chance to present Azerbaijan inspired fashion to a worldwide audience and to support her during her inspirational journey through our country." Concerning NagornoKarabakh he continued", said Taleh Heydarov, Chairman and Founder of TEAS stressed the importance of the project.
"A fashion collection with this degree of international coverage and attention helps a great deal to show to a wider public, that there is an occupied Azerbaijani region called Nagorno-Karabakh and that steps have to be undertaken to protect our national heritage in all areas of culture and civil society", he added.
The fashion show was followed by a press get-together and revisit where further details of the collection of Leonie Mergen were revealed.
YARAT Contemporary Art Space invites everyone to join the finissage party “Je t’aime” on January 27 at ARTIM Project Space.
The finissage event concludes the performance experiment “You don't understand me" by three artists Vusal Rahim, Vugar Guliyev, Aysel Amirova and the theater group ADO.
The experiment encourages visitors to understand the meaning of the works from the artists’ point of view by stepping into the shoes of the other instead of treating the works as a subject of observation.
The project consisted of the cooperation by three artists with the theatre group ADO who worked together on a participatory performance.
This shoe-shifting experiment sought to take out our selves from our comfortable, known position taking the risk to step out into the unknown and changing the angle of our usual view.
The event will last from 8 pm to 10 pm. Admission is free.
YARAT is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to nurturing an understanding of contemporary art in Azerbaijan and to creating a platform for Azerbaijani art, both nationally and internationally. Based in Baku, YARAT (meaning CREATE in Azerbaijani) was founded by Aida Mahmudova in 2011.
YARAT realizes its mission through an on-going program of exhibitions, education events and festivals. YARAT facilitates exchange between local and international artistic networks including foundations, galleries and museums.