Anouki by Anouki Areshidze is one of the best-known labels to come out of Georgia, mostly thanks to the designer’s handmade embroidered footwear. In keeping with her successful shoes, Areshidze’s clothes are quite embellished with a look-at-me vibe. This season, she continued to explore mismatched shirting, slicing pin-striped button-ups and stitching them to natty cardigans. Some of the pieces were a bit too sweet.
Georgian pride has become a bit of a thing for Tbilisi’s designers, Areshidze included. Considering her high-flying Western clientele (she sells at Moda Operandi), putting her very non-Western culture on the runway is an unexpected move. But items like belt bags with Georgian script seem like a new, fairly unfussy way to attract customers.
