BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. A fashion show titled
"Carpet Museum Fashion Show: Patterns of Time" was held at the
Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum on July 1.
Alena Aliyeva attended the event.
Speaking at the event, Director of the Azerbaijan National
Carpet Museum Amina Malikova said that, for the first time in the
museum's history, local designers had created new fashion
collections inspired by the patterns of Azerbaijani carpets
preserved in the museum's exhibitions and collections.
Thanking the designers who joined the project, Malikova said:
"From the moment we first invited them, they embraced the
initiative with great enthusiasm and worked side by side with the
Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum team for six months. They
conducted research in our collections, studied historic carpet
samples, and the collections presented today are the result of that
dedicated work."
Malikova noted that the event, held in accordance with a
relevant order signed by the President of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of
the prominent scholar, carpet expert, and artist Latif Karimov.
Deputy Minister of Culture Saadat Yusifova said that Azerbaijani
carpets are unique works of art that have preserved the aesthetic
taste, worldview, way of life, and spiritual values of the
Azerbaijani people for centuries. She noted that every pattern,
color, and composition is not only an artistic element but also a
reflection of the country's history, national identity, and
cultural memory.
The deputy minister said that preserving national heritage
requires not only protecting it but also reinterpreting it in ways
that resonate with contemporary audiences. In this regard, she
emphasized the growing role of the creative industries,
particularly design and fashion, in promoting national heritage.
According to her, the collections presented at the show demonstrate
that when tradition and innovation come together, cultural heritage
is revitalized, reaches a wider audience, and remains relevant.
A specially produced video about the project was then
screened.
The project aims to present the rich national and cultural
heritage of the Azerbaijani people through the language of
contemporary fashion and has brought together some of the country's
leading fashion designers on a single creative platform.
The fashion show showcased Azerbaijan's rich carpet-weaving
traditions, national ornaments, and ancient symbols through a
modern aesthetic perspective. One of the project's principal
sources of inspiration was the creative legacy of the prominent
scholar, carpet expert, and artist Latif Karimov, whose 120th birth
anniversary is being commemorated this year. The participating
designers creatively incorporated the carpet compositions,
patterns, color harmonies, and artistic principles developed by
Karimov into their contemporary clothing collections.
A total of 116 garments created by 14 professional fashion
designers—Fakhriyya Khalafova, Gulnara Khalilova, Leyla Ahmadova,
Yegane Sadigova, Matanat Bayramova, Khayala Masimova, Sabina
Zulalova, Leyla Babazade, Gunay Aliyeva, Shabnam Bayramova, Ajami
Azer, Kubra Nuriyeva, Afaq Ismayilzade, and Khayala Bayramova—were
presented as part of the fashion show.
The project's main goal is to promote the art of Azerbaijani
carpet weaving, preserve the country's national and cultural
heritage and pass it on to future generations, and present that
heritage to a wider audience through contemporary forms of artistic
expression.
