My first trip to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, was in 2012. Due to my profession I was already very familiar with the banking system and I had a lot of online acquaintances. Before arriving, I thought I had a fairly decent understanding of the Azerbaijani people, their culture and age-old traditions. But how wrong I was! The first thing that struck me about Baku was its unparalleled beauty. It is truly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited – and I have travelled a lot!
Known for its concentration of ancient oil fields, the “Oil Stones”, the government has invested its money wisely into the development of modern infrastructure, and at the same time managed to upkeep and preserve its astounding antiquities and cultural heritage. Walking through Baku’s Old Town is like a trip through history: the beautiful maiden tower with its romantic tale of unrequited love, the winding pathways made of natural stone, the city wall and the bustling Mulberry Tree Square. You pass local bookstores and handcrafted souvenir shops, or you might take a break in a local cafe for some traditional tea (with at least 5 spoons of sugar!). I’d say it’s almost impossible not to fall in love with the romantic, unpretentious and completely relaxed atmosphere displayed in this wonderful city.
In fact, as a foreigner, the local people make you feel so welcome! I can’t speak for everyone but the Azerbaijanis I met were all so openhearted and generous. They are also proud citizens of their home, and if you are a guest they want nothing more than to advise you on the best accommodation, sights and entertainment.
On a more recent visit I decided to expand my knowledge of Baku and look into the local design and fashion. Azerbaijan, in the post-war period, took numerous steps towards reviving certain creative movements, and one of these was fashion. Like everyone else, these people have a taste for big name brands and international designers, and many of them have the budget to accommodate this preference. But local designers have also carved out successful careers, and women in Baku are surprisingly fashion-forward, often championing local designers and bold statement pieces. I was immediately in awe of all these immaculately dressed, olive-skinned ladies strutting the streets like catwalks, each one showcasing their own striking and completely individual looks.
Boutique One, located on one of the city’s central shopping streets, opened in 2015 and is a Pandora’s Box of unique items and treasures you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Rich textures and bright colours pop from every rail and shelf, celebrating the best Azerbaijani designers and providing them with a platform to sell their collections to high-end customers. Boutique One became the first store to collaborate with local designers, and as time went on their range expanded. They now stock about 40 labels from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Turkey.
One of the first designers to catch my eye was Turan Kerimbeyli, a lady who had been working in the industry for two decades and one of Azerbaijan’s fashion pioneers. She began designing shortly after the country’s first fashion festival in 1996 – which must have been a fairytale for the country’s most stylish as such events were unheard of before then.
This printed maxi dress and embroidered coat perfectly exemplify Kerimbeyli’s unique talent that combines fashion and art. She was one of the first local designers to hand-paint on fabric and often she sources her materials from the surrounding regions. Some of her designs reminded me of Alesandro Michele for Gucci – only she must have done it even earlier!
Another designer I was introduced to at Boutique One is Maya Ilyasova, a budding Azerbaijani designer with a penchant for clean tailoring and bold bursts of colour. She uses the most luxurious fabrics and her design lines are anything but ordinary, but you can expect to pay less than half the price you would for well-known brand name suiting.
In fact, almost all of the items I picked up at Boutique One cost a fraction of what I’d expect to pay for them at home. The blue embroidered coat and matching skirt I’m seen wearing is by Elvina Djamilova, another up-and-coming Eastern European fashionista. The detail, fit and design were all exquisite and I bagged the coat for a mere £300!
