On 23 April, the young Kazakhstan designer Abzal Issa Bekov, who now lives and works in London, will present an advisory session in Almaty. Abzal was the first designer from Kazakhstan to have a collection open the Central Saint Martins MA graduate show at London Fashion Week.
We invite Kazakh students studying at creative institutions of higher education, their lecturers, as well as beginner and established designers to take part in the session.
Abzal’s topic will be “We have nothing to say and we still saying it.” He will speak about his work abroad and studies at top design schools such as the Parsons School of Design in New York and Central Saint Martins in London. The participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions.
Venue: Grand Hall, BIYEN Conference Room, Almaty Towers, Baizakov 280.
Time: 16:00 - 17:00.
Entrance is free. Registration is required due to a limited number of spaces. Please use this link to register.
About Abzal Issa Bekov
Born in a northern town in Kazakhstan, Central Saint Martins grad Abzal Issa Bekov grew up observing his mother’s craftsmanship, who was a seamstress during the USSR era. This is perhaps why fundamental tailoring is so important to the London-based designer, his breakout student collection recalling tradition and subverting time-honored silhouettes through an underground queer lens.
A subtle juxtaposition of Savile Row discipline and ’70s kink culture, Issa Bekov revisited the legacies of British tailor Tommy Nutter, praised for his iconic check suits, and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, known for creating charged black-and-white imagery. The result is a well-researched, well-balanced debut collection that revels in history and the potency of a focused inspiration.
