Situationist Spring Summer 2019 Women's Collection

Georgian designers are having quite a moment in fashion these days. There is, of course, the superstar that is Demna Gvasalia of Vetements and Balenciaga-fame, as well as a rising designer David Koma, who’s been dressing A-list celebrities. Back home at Tbilisi, one of the loudest and most influential labels at the moment is Situationist, designed by Irakli Rusadze. The brand was in the center of a controversy recently, giving birth to the protest hashtag #WeDanceTogetherWeFightTogether that was splattered on his sold-out T-shirts. It was to stand in solidarity with the unfairly raided nightclub, Bassiani, where the brand also held their Spring 2019 show. This season, it’s all about giving reverence to both traditional Georgian costumery and the 90s fashions that started an underground revolution. The former came in the chokha, a traditional piano-key adorned Georgian robe, inspired pieces, complete with the traditional strict tailoring. And speaking of tailoring, the latter reference game in the Helmut Lang-type leather looks and the oversized business separates that were all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s. Each exit had a powerful and somewhat emotional vibe to it, which, at its essence, is what fashion is all about.