Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

As part of the first National Costume Day festival, designer Gulnara Khalilova has presented her collection in front of the Shirvanshahs' Palace in Baku's historic Icherisheher.

Khalilova is the head of the Azerbaijan National Costume Center, a member of the Eurasian Association of Ethno-Designers and a PhD in Art Studies.

The show brought together national looks from several of the designer's collections previously presented at international events. Against the backdrop of the ancient palace, traditional clothing appeared not as a museum exhibit, but as a living part of culture, communicating with contemporary audiences through beauty, form and symbolism.

For many years, Khalilova's name has been closely associated with the creation and promotion of Azerbaijani national costume. In her work, she draws on historical examples, traditional techniques and ornaments, reinterpreting them through a contemporary aesthetic.

Her collections have been presented at international venues in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Austria, Romania, Turkiye, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Norway, Serbia, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and other countries.

Gulnara Khalilova said that promoting the national values, culture, art and ancient heritage of the Azerbaijani people is one of the important tasks of the present day.

"Azerbaijani national costume is a source of pride for us. It reflects the culture of our people, is closely connected with the history of the country and vividly demonstrates the distinctive features of people from different cities and regions," Khalilova said.

She recalled that she first proposed establishing a National Costume Day in Azerbaijan in 2006.

"We are increasingly drawn to our roots and returning to our origins. This is very encouraging and shows that the time has come to establish an Azerbaijani National Costume Day. At the fashion shows I organize, I always promote one main idea - every home should have at least one set of national clothing," the designer said.

Khalilova said that having such a costume at home could be a first step toward introducing children to the history and culture of their people.

"A child who grows up in such a home will naturally become interested: What kind of clothing is this, where did it come from and how did it emerge? The parents will tell the child about it. In this way, children will learn from an early age about our national roots, values and cultural codes. They will begin to understand and study their history better," Khalilova stressed.

For her, this is one of the main roles of national costume - not simply to preserve memories of the past, but to pass them from one generation to the next.

The presentation at Icherisheher offered another example of how historical heritage can continue to live in a contemporary setting. Against the ancient walls of the Shirvanshahs' Palace, Khalilova's national designs showed that tradition is preserved not only in museums and books, but also when people wear it, study it and pass it on to their children.

Khalilova's proposal to establish a National Costume Day dates back to 2006; she has continued to promote the idea through exhibitions and fashion shows focused on Azerbaijani traditional dress.