“Seeing and being seen”: heritage meets hyper-modernity at Visa Fashion Week Almaty

I had read about its history, its role on the Silk Road and the sheer scale of its territory, yet arriving in Almaty surpassed all expectations. The city unfolds at the foot of an imposing mountain range, which constantly frames an urban skyline dominated by modern glass skyscrapers.

The latest edition of Fashion Week Almaty took place from April 28 to 30 in the former Kazakh capital, backed by major sponsor VISA. It brought together 18 designers from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Hungary and Morocco, positioning the city as the epicentre of a creative conversation on identity and cultural transformation in Central Asia.

The event's proposal directly engages with this idea of ongoing transformation. Kazakhstan is presented not just as a heritage, but as an open dialogue between what it was, what it is and what it aspires to be. This exchange of perspectives—both internal and external—is where the concept for this edition is articulated, under the theme “seeing and being seen”.

“It is the recognition that our identity is formed here and now, in the eyes of others and in our own reflection,” explained Bauyrzhan Shadibekov, CEO of Visa Fashion Week Almaty, referring to the country's current creative moment.

Our identity is formed here

Maison ARTC, the “house of culture” founded by Moroccan designer and artist Artsi Ifrach and recognised with the Fashion Trust Arabia award in 2022, was one of the standout presences at this edition in Almaty.

Ifrach's work offers a reflection on how cultural identities are constructed and projected in global circulation. This is a particularly relevant issue in a context where, he argues, fashion is no longer exclusive to the major capitals but is beginning to be built from other creative hubs.

Artsi Ifrach deliberately distances himself from mass production, placing his work in a territory closer to art. His unique pieces exist at the intersection of fashion, performance, photography and material archive. The use of repurposed textiles and collaboration with artisans is not presented as an added discursive gesture, but as the very core of his practice. Each collection is understood almost as a moving exhibition, where fashion functions as a narrative and critical medium.

Cultural bridges

The internationalisation of Visa Fashion Week Almaty was also strengthened by its collaboration with Budapest Central European Fashion Week, which brought the brand Nanushka to the stage with its “Sacred Utility” collection.

Within this network of influences, Italian fashion has also found fertile ground for dialogue, making its presence in Central Asia more than just a commercial expansion. From an institutional perspective, the Italian Trade Agency in Almaty is establishing itself as a strategic bridge between the two creative ecosystems.

Its work is not limited to introducing Italian brands to the Kazakh market. It also facilitates the reverse flow of talent, connecting local designers and companies with the Italian training and production system.

The result is a process of co-evolution where fashion acts as a tool for cultural diplomacy, knowledge transfer and the construction of new professional identities.

Evolution towards a global ecosystem

Danara Usmanova, commercial director of Saks Fifth Avenue Almaty, also explained during one of the organised talks how Kazakhstan's fashion industry is undergoing a transformation through spaces like Saks Fifth Avenue in Almaty and Astana.

"It is no longer just about creativity,” she noted, “but about supporting emerging designers in understanding international standards, production processes and commercial communication tools.” This change reflects a shift from a more local, artistic fashion scene to a more structured industry capable of scaling and projecting itself beyond the country's borders.

In this context, the first night of the event—a Traditional Gala organised by Saken Zhaksybayev and the Fashion Bureau at the Almaty Theatre under the concept “Made in Kazakhstan. Made with Love”—focused on national identity and local craftsmanship.

Attendees transformed the new Almaty Theatre into a veritable social runway, with carefully chosen pieces that created a collective celebration of dress.

More than an isolated phenomenon, the event's street style established itself as a parallel chapter within the Fashion Week narrative. Throughout each day, the many photographers who gathered at the location, the Atakent Exhibition Center, captured images of attendees at various points around the venue. This turned the observation of styles into an almost choreographed dynamic.

Five key proposals

This balance between tradition and experimentation is giving rise to a unique creative language, capable of positioning itself on the international map beyond being merely "emerging".

Here is a selection of five brands that encapsulate some of the most relevant directions observed at Visa Fashion Week Almaty.

ZhSaken (Kazakhstan)

Saken Zhaksybayev, founder of the Fashion Bureau and a key figure in the event's organisation, closed the three days of shows with a proposal that served as a statement of principles. In “Art Is Not Enough”, fashion occupies an intermediate territory between the intuitive and the conscious, with an aesthetic inspired by the energy of contemporary art biennials.

The result is a pop surrealism where the contrast between classic feminine codes and sport-inspired accessories articulates a deliberately hybrid narrative. Gingham checks, urban-inspired graphics and amplified volumes are used to challenge the notion of luxury, shifting it towards a more playful, even ironic, territory.

The collection is articulated through contrasts. Architectural structures are set against bursts of red and deep blue, while transparencies coexist with dense textures. The result is a series of looks that seem to be in a constant state of transformation, as if each were an autonomous gesture within a larger manifesto on creative freedom.

Mariko (Kazakhstan)

Mari Hayrapetyan transforms migratory memory into textile form. “Urmia” articulates a precise balance between craftsmanship and contemporary design, using crochet, long fringes and highly tactile fabrics that add density to clean silhouettes.

The collection is defined by a quiet sophistication. A neutral colour base is interrupted by vibrant orange and purple accents, highlighting a formal investigation focused on materiality. Far from nostalgic, the proposal reconfigures traditional codes with a distinctly modern logic.

YesYes! (Kazakhstan)

Winner of the sixth edition of the Next Designer Award empowered by Visa, Esmukhan Esbolat—at the helm of YesYes!—presents one of the most conceptually solid proposals of the season with “BITPEYTIN TOY”.

Drawing on rural imagery and the festive iconography of the 2000s, the designer reformulates traditional Kazakh celebrations from a critical perspective. The “brilliant chaos” of the 'toys' (celebrations) is deconstructed and reinterpreted through an aesthetic that incorporates cyberpunk references: neon palettes, exaggerated volumes in materials like feathers and accessories that conceal the face.

The result is a visual narrative that oscillates between nostalgic and dystopian, projecting a vision of haute couture infused with contemporary cultural tensions.

Sako (Kazakhstan)

Saltanat Abdildaeva's debut is constructed as an intimate exploration of the process of self-acceptance. Through a visual language based on contrasts, the designer juxtaposes rigid graphic structures with soft volumes and almost exaggerated floral embellishments.

The transition from monochrome black to a more expressive palette serves as a metaphor for the development of one's own identity. The result is a collection that translates personal experience into a very interesting proposal.

Manuk Aleksanyan (Armenia)

From Armenia, Manuk Aleksanyan offers a reflection on the suggestive power of belief. “Effect Placebo” is articulated through a dark maximalism that combines grunge codes with gestures typical of the artistic avant-garde. Rigid silhouettes, surfaces adorned with large-format sequins, feathers and graffiti create a proposal with a strong theatrical charge. Aleksanyan thus positions himself in a territory that shuns the conventional to explore a raw, theatrical and decidedly provocative visual identity.

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