ASTANA – Local designers are helping Kazakh citizens look stylish and feel comfortable while wearing clothes with traditional elements.
Dress from Samidel.
Kazakhs have typically paid a great deal of attention to the garments they wear. Clothes, often made from fur, silk and wool, were used to show well-being and social status and ethnic ornaments were the main elements of décor.
Now, local designers are bringing ethnic ornaments back while keeping clothes suitable for daily use and elegant enough for evening.
Aida Kaumenova, who established her brand Aida KaumeNOVA in 2006, is one of the first designers to promote national style. She creates romantic, sophisticated dresses with an Asian touch for women of any age. Although Aida KaumeNOVA offers relaxed outfits for everyday lifestyles, the collections often include gorgeous handmade evening dresses especially popular with local artists. The most recent collection is available at Keruen and Saryarka, the city’s trade and entertainment centres.
Photo credit: tengrinews.kz.
Samidel develops its own prints and textiles to create clothes with traditional ornaments. Established in 2012, the designer offers blouses, skirts, costumes and dresses for day and evening wear sold in the brand’s namesake shop at 9 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue.
“I have always wanted to wear clothes with national elements. However, there were only clothes designed for the stage and clothes looking too traditional, which we cannot wear in our daily life. Then, I decided to create stylish but comfortable garments with national elements, which one could wear with sports shoes or even boots,” said Samidel founder Dinara Abdullina.
Dinara Abdullina. Photo credit: weproject.kz.
Kurak Korpe (patchwork quilt) presents comfortable hand-made dresses. The brand name comes from traditional Kazakh blankets, pieces of quilt sewn together to symbolise the unity of the Sun, Moon, rain, clouds, flowers and Earth.
Shukiman makes clothes suitable for colder weather, offering garments from woven fabric with traditional Kazakh ornaments. Dresses, costumes, skirts and jackets, some of which are decorated, are simple, yet comfortable for daily wear. The brand has a shop at Keruen mall.
National style accessories are also in high demand, adding a sense of style to one’s look. Local brand Adili offers fashionable leather bags and purses, silk scarfs, ties, handkerchiefs and umbrellas with ornaments in exclusive prints for men and women. In the capital, Adili products can be purchased at Saryarka and Mega Silk Way.
Adili scarfs. Photo credit: forbes.kz.
Mukajan focuses on leather purses, bags and belts decorated with traditional ornaments. The company pays attention to the quality of material and products, while trying to make the items affordable even to university students. The accessories are available at Asia Park.
