KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The graduate show organized by the Fashion Design Department of Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) on May 27 showcased the collections of the final-year students highlighting their unique artistic taste and expressions and featuring fashion trends ranging from Arabic, Greek, and Chinese cultures to Armenian fashion and shadows of [Sergei] Parajanov, a prominent Armenian film director, screenwriter and artist.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Birth of Venus," "Garni, "Geghard," "Queen Cleopatra," "Queen Parandzem," "The Light of the Soul," "Life and Struggle," "Akhtamar," "The Eyes of Armenians," "Elegy," etc. The graduating students of the Faculty of Art Education showed their creations at 13 Alek Manukyan str. in Yerevan.

This year, the show was unique: it was held on a runway in a specific order, in accordance with all the rules and guidelines of a fashion show. Twenty-five future fashion designers took their first steps on the red carpet featuring 90 characters, with each character having a clear idea, style, and identity created as a result of students’ experience, educational path and creative thinking.

The exhibition was attended by the ASPU leadership and lecturers, students, parents, guests, fashion designers, professionals and fans.

“It has already become a tradition to organize exhibitions of students’ works in the yard of the University. This is the first trial for our students, who have the opportunity to present their works, skills and techniques of working with different fabrics to public outside buildings, and to combine them with various pieces and fabrics,” said Ara Hakobyan, Dean of the Faculty of Art Education. He thanked the students, their lecturers, and famous designers Aram Nikolyan and Hripsime Maronyan.

Architectural and aesthetic solutions, a beautiful combination of colours and styles, textures, patterns and silhouette… Each of the students had a different source of inspiration, likewise, the creative approaches and ideas were different, which was uniquely emphasized with the choice of the accompanying music, graduating students and invited professional models who showcased the collections.

The collection representing Artsakh featured a symbolic combination of dark pink and black. ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan, who was also present at the fashion show, congratulated the students, appreciating not only the theme of the exhibition, but also the qualities and practical results in the given field of art. She voiced hope that in the future many of them will make a name for themselves and shine in the global fashion industry, bringing glory and honour to Armenia and ASPU.

The initiative was also highly appreciated by Karine Dnoyan, one of the renowned specialists in the field. She specifically emphasized the preparation process [before the exhibition], the visual presentation of the exhibition, and the themes. The fashion expert also made some observations and said she would share her comments on the showcased works in the near future, laying emphasis on the quality of the fabric, sewing, garment construction, etc.

The professional jury evaluated each of the works in due order.