ByJesse Scott
Alexey Chzhen,Sayat Dossybayev, andKazakhstan Fashion Week**: the three names are inextricably linked. Chzhen and Dossybayev are founders and CEO’s of Kazakhstan Fashion Week, which at 35 seasons is now the longest-running fashion week in Central Asia. Special thanks to Dossybayev for hosting_Rain_at the event.**
Classic Femininity with Contemporary Twists
Chzhen’s offering at this past Kazakhstan Fashion Week beautifully demonstrated the masterful cuts and attention to detail for which the designer is known. Working from a neutral color palette dominated by black, cream, and olive green,_Alexey Chzhen_proposed an array of dresses and jackets with traditional clean cuts but unique modern accoutrements. A black and white pinstripe dress exuding “boardroom power” was given feminine flair and dramatic effect by a large floral ruffle at the neckline and an open jacket that billowed behind the model like a cape. Meanwhile, a quasi-transparent cream shirt combined with a black tie was transformed from timeless urban chic to contemporary sartorial statement by a layered skirt that sashayed down the runway in a swirl of oversized pleats.
Chzhen was at his best this season when irreverently playing with jackets. A personal favorite look was a dichotomous black blazer embellished on one side by ruffled rosettes and painstakingly sewn floral patterns and on the other by haphazardly-stitched-on strips of raw fabric. At once emblematic of Soho streetstyle and classic femininity, it was a modern look for those confident in their style and comfortable moving between different cultural spheres. Also noteworthy was a distressed white jacket structured so as to recall unfinished patterns. Finally, the collection cannot be discussed without a nod to the striking headwear, which hugged the models like skull caps (often covering their hair), and was proposed in a variety of bejeweled and non-embellished versions.
With one of the most cohesive and consistent collections of Kazakhstan Fashion Week, Alexey Chzhen proved once again why he is so well-established on the pantheon of Central Asian designers. Having already appeared at the Grammys, look for his designs to receive increased international exposure in coming seasons.