October 25, 2009
Annual most ambitious project in Central Asia in the field of culture, art and fashion Style.uz-2009 Art Week was held in Tashkent from 12 to 17 October 2009. Exhibitions and presentation projects, young designers contests, national dress festival, fashion shows by Uzbek and foreign designers, master classes by experts from different fields of arts, charity concerts were showcased during the Art Week according to its best tradition. The International Biennale of Modern Art was also hosted under the Style.uz. Author of the Style.uz Art Week project is Gulnara Karimova.
Art Week Style.uz – is a crossroad of arts, traditions and modernity. For four years now the Week impresses with its scale and dynamics, versatility of its events and attracts more and more attention of the world most famous figures. The concept of the Art Week is completely different from that of fashion-week, because it compiles photography and antique exhibitions, concerts and presentations and, obviously, fashion shows. Young talents support, providing grants for textile and weaving masters, who build their activities on reviving of ancient professional techniques – is what Style.Uz is making its main efforts in.
Prominent world culture professionals and national arts representatives, arts critics, artists, musicians, cinema, theatre and stage actors, fashion world specialists, designers, fashion houses and brands owners, models, editors and journalists from leading vogue magazines, photographers and many other renown figures from Uzbekistan and other countries are the guests of the Art Week Style.Uz. Among the are: Fawaz Gruosi, founder and president, de Grisogono (Switzerland), Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele Vice-President of Chopard (Switzerland), Sylvia Rousseau head of the Dior boutique in Paris, (France), Lord Guilford, William MacDougall president and founder of the «MacDougall's Arts Ltd.» auction house (United Kingdom), Satoshi Onuma president of International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes, Isao Matsushita composer (Japan), representatives of the China Association for the Advancement of International Friendship Chen Shao Xin and Ge Zhili (China), Alexander Shenkman Сhairman of the "New Wave" contest’s organizing committee, David Yakobashvili Wimm-Bill-Dann Food company Chairman, Vartan Toganyan and Karen Khachatryan representatives of Eurasian Media Group, actor Dmitry Dyuzhev, designer Helen Yarmak, Maxim Shevchenko anchorman of the First Channel (Russia), Reinhard and Monica Brandner Austrian artists, DJ Yves LaRock (Switzerland), Montserrat Caballé and Sting, Paolo Maldini (Italy), Imran Ahmad head of the CNN bureau in Central Asia, about 200 artists from thirty countries and many others.
Information support for the week was provided by: “Russia” TV Channel, “Mir” Broadcasting Company, ITAR-TASS IA, "Kommersant", "OK" (Russia), «l'Officiel» (France), FBC Channel, Getty Images Photo Bank, Valentin Ray-Uhovsky secular columnist (USA), newspapers Zhenmin Zhibao and Wen Wei Po (China) and many others.
Applied arts, design and fashion exhibition. The wide-scale exposition brought together unique masterpieces of best applied arts professionals and contemporary brand’s seasonal hits in one space during the whole week. The exhibition included works done by famous masters from IJOD (Creativity) artists, arts professionals and national masters of Uzbekistan Association, together with modern clothing, accessories designed by both established and amateur stylists, works of young creators (i.e. interior design, wed-design, jewelry show-rooms and new collections of famous brands.
MEROS Exhibition of Antiques and Auction. Ancient fabrics, clothes, suzanni, jewelry, metal stamping, ceramics – are unique rarity pieces the majority of which were presented on public for the first time. A charity auction will be held within this exhibition. This event was organized in cooperation with MEROS (Heritage) Uzbekistan Antiquarians Association, the organization that is famous with its exciting exhibition projects where both devoted collectors and simply admirers have a chance to see unique antique pieces.
William MacDougall, the president of Auction House «MacDougall’s Arts Ltd.»: “This is my first time in Uzbekistan. Of course I heart before about ancient cities: Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent and grand Amir Temur, but I did not have idea about modern Uzbekistan. I am very glad that I came here and saw this country in all its beauty. I already have seen huge exhibition in Youth Creativity Palace and I am amazed by that exposition. It is very beautiful; mostly I liked textile, national ornaments on it and also the texture of suzane. I was charmed by Uzbek culture, clothes design and national kitchen. Soon international experts and designers will come and I think they also will be expressed by exhibits on the auction exhibition, items made by medieval craftsmen.”
Akmal Nur artist’s personal exhibition and catalogue presentation. Akmal Nur – People’s Artist of Uzbekistan. Being one of the most appreciated fine art masters in Uzbekistan he is in constant search for synthesis of East and West traditions, of national originality. During the Art Week, while exhibiting Akmal Nur’s paintings, the presentation of his catalogue published by the Fund Forum was held and become one of the most vivid events of the Art Week Style.uz.
Underground – young designers fashion show. Providing a professional podium for talented and creative design beginners is the main idea of this fashion show. This show is rightfully called the most unpredictable one of the Week: This year, the explosion of youth extremism was replaced by classic elegance and traditions of the East.
Basso& Brook, designer’s duet (UK): “In the frame of the Art Week we have been on the exhibition and fashion show in one day. And we were impressed how young people using national heritage in their creativity. It makes you unique. Respect to traditions, conversion to roots- this is really important factors for the art. Especially during demonstration we were amazed by youths’ energy level. Overall, we are highly impresses by Uzbekistan; it is a beautiful country with hospitable people.”
Foreign designers fashion show. This day Tashkent gave its catwalk for collections of Vardui Nazaryan – one of the most famous Russian designers and London College of Fashion world’s smithy of fashion industry.
Master-classes have become an inseparable part of the Art Week. This is a chance to have a closer look on famous professional guests, who run the master-classes, and to find out the secrets of their professionalism. This year master-classes were taught by London College of Fashion arts and design foundation specialists, Carmel Kelly and Sarah Atkinson, and by popular British designers Basso & Brooke, who recommended who to combine natural fabrics and diverse prints, stylists Vitaliy Divnin (Russia) and Tatevik Kocharyan (Switzerland) as well as make-up artists of Fitness&Spa demonstrated top class in the art of appearance transformation.
Sonia Rykiel’s Monobrand show (France) continued the series of fashion shows by international designers. This day Tashkent scaffolding become narrow Parisian streets, where refined French women walk dancing dressed in black, knitted, sensuous.
Evening by Chopard has become a traditional point the Style.uz agenda. It began with a small charity auction: a piece from Guli for Chopard collection was sold. The designer of the collection Gulnara’s part of proceeds from the sale will be directed support the young winners of the "Yangi Avlod" Festival ("New Generation"), conducted annually by the Fund Forum.
Opening of International Biennale of Contemporary Art was held under the Art Week in Tashkent. The project hosted art professionals’ forum, lectures and master-classes together with contemporary art exhibitions where leading world and local artists, masters, graphics, photographers, art critics, curators and others took part. Over 100 foreign guests from 27 countries of the world arrived in Uzbekistan to attend the project.
Lucke Lotto, artist (Netherlands): “I would like to grateful for the invitation and honored to take part in the Art Week in Uzbekistan. Here I present my project, which is called “Embracing the Past”. And opening your capital for myself I understood event happening here really looks at the Present through the prism of Past. I am very glad that here I have the possibility to work and negotiate with Uzbek masters on the terms devoted to Uzbekistan. Really, you get great pleasure from cooperative work, and that’s why for me, as the artist, Art Week of Uzbekistan is very important and special event.”
Oscar de la Renta’s Monobrand show (USA) recreated the atmosphere of femininity and elegance. For the first time clothes by the designer, whose dresses are worn by Hollywood stars and royalty, shined at the Tashkent fashion arena.
Gastronomic review. Presentation evening of Uzbek restaurants invited guests to estimate the culinary arts of Tashkent masters of taste and pleasure.
Podium Italia boutique’s show demonstrated trends of the fashion industry which could be estimated by the fans of glamour.
Valentino’s Monobrand show (Italy) stirs up admiration of podiums around the world, now it is Tashkent turn. Pure color, sophisticated styles, impeccable cut, and of course, gorgeous red dress beloved by millions of women.
National Dress Festival. This is one of the central events of the Week. The unique "formula" of the real oriental style reflected in collections the diversity of national fabrics, textures, ornaments and silhouettes, providing viewers a full picture of the Uzbek costume’s aesthetic range. Catwalks resembled a wonderful journey to the eastern tales. Getting acquainted with collections, the audience applauded to exquisite works of the Uzbek designers.
Godfrey Deeny, Fashionwiredaily reporter (Italy): “Due to my work I have an opportunity to visit many fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and others, but I would like to notice that Tashkent Art Week vary from them by its format and eventfulness of the agenda. Very beautiful clothes were presented in the Festival of National Dress; especially national textile was very impressive.”
Guli brand jewelry collection presentation. Guests came to enjoy the fine and exquisite jewelry art interpreted by Guli brand, known for collaborations with Chopard luxury brand, were delighted with the "precious" evening, which included unannounced concert by opera diva Montserrat Caballé. The musical performances was followed by an auction, the proceeds of which are aimed at supporting young winners of the "Yangi Avlod" Festival ( "New Generation").
Dom Stilya General Defile. Romanticism and femininity were the leading tendencies of the final event of the art week. It was reflected in almost all collections from different points and views. Neatly looks by Madina Kasymbaeva belted in the Eastern manner, Eastern beauties by Dildora Kasymova and Elina Khayrullina in elegant evening dresses, corsets and wide skirts designed in miniature style by Elmira Ibragimova, velvet heroes of Nargis Niyazova, luxurious evening dresses by Anna Kim, Silk fantasies by Saida Amir, as well as collections by male designers: young and creative Kanishka and strartling Artyom Drobyshev. The show was concluded by demonstration of collections by designers of the Dom Stilya balancing “on the verge of fashion and art” as well as Guli collection that made an overturn at Milan Fashion Week. The collection of 17 models with cast of unique ancient architectural building patterns of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva is a new GULI Brand designer Gulnara`s experimental elaboration. Past centuries aesthetics, subtly and originally expressed by the author and polished with modern technology, appeared as marvellous national culture element remarks - reincarnated and actualized.
For dessert, collection of evening dresses was presented by artist-designer from Israel, Galit Levi, colorfully and incredibly romantic completing the east-west fashion boom. After the show an award ceremony Style.uz 2009 Art Week winners was implemented in the following categories: National Dress Festival and Underground young designers’ fashion show. Gulnara Karimova author of the largest art project in Central Asia personally congratulated the winners, awarded prizes and statuettes. Also a presentation of a new Visa Card specially developed according to Guli design was held as part of the evening.
Maksim Shevchenko, journalist, The First channel anchorperson (Russia): “I liked Uzbekistan and atmosphere of Tashkent a lot; this is my main impression of this visit. Regarding Art Week, the project of Fund Forum is very interesting by itself because it involves youth in new forms of relationships with other part of the world – Europe, West and so on. I would like to underscore the richness of Uzbek art, customs and traditions of Uzbek people. They are not to be vanished, not to be faded, because your treasures are majestic and wonderful.”
Sting’s Concert. The legend of the world pop, British musician Sting gave a unique concert at the stage of the State Academic Theater Alisher Navoi in Tashkent. The legendary musician Sting gave a charity concert at Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theater. Laureates of “Kelajak ovozi” (Voice of Future) Contest for talented youth as well as “Yangi avlod” (New generation) Contest of children’s creativity of the Fund Forum became diploma receivers of special grant prize by Sting. The Sting concert itself was a charity event. All of the funds raised from ticket sales will be directed to charity and social activities of the Fund Forum along with its grant and scholarship programmes. More than half of the tickets were reserved free for Fund’s youth projects participants, young professionals, activists and volunteers along with Uzbekistan prominent arts and culture figures.
This year's Art Week in Tashkent withdrew from the fashion-week format, focusing on the arts, philanthropy and fashion, which attracted the attention of participants from different art areas in many countries. not only the traditional art and the national costume of Uzbekistan was presented in the Week, but also a dynamic modern culture, created by young creative artists, which made Art week cultural event of international scope.
