Nestled above Armenia, hugging both Russia and eastern Europe is the enigmatic country of Georgia. Mostly known for old world wine and copper, its most recent valued export is designer Lela Eloshvili and her brand Eloshi.

We met with Eloshvili minutes after her Los Angeles Fashion Week debut and discussed her collection, ascent into LA Fashion Week, and the allure of the Georgian woman.

She arrived wearing one of her pieces; a delicate slip dress adorned with Georgian scripts in the designer’s handwriting. Straight off the runway Eloshvili was glowing with an infectious post-show adrenaline.

We cut directly to the inspiration behind her collection.

“It’s about Georgia, tradition, and how the Georgian woman wears Georgia. She’s self-confident and sexy. These outfits are a message from her.”

Confidence and sex appeal balanced nuances of Georgian antiquity. Costume buttons, puffed shoulders, and romantic ruffles nodded towards the past while bold colors, creative draping, and thin fabrics redirected the attire to 2017. Most interesting was the presence of the unique Georgian alphabet scattered across a medley of ethereal white dresses. From an untrained eye, the letters stood alone as otherworldly decorations rather than the simple characters of an alphabet.

Pulling more inspiration from her country, the collection was further inspired by Georgian wine, which, despite its lack of ubiquity, has been in production for at least 8,000 years.

“Wine is very important in our culture; we love to entertain guests, and wherever you go, you arrive with Georgian wine.”

Eloquent grapevine illustrations adorned her designs. The graphics moved in a whimsical art nouveau direction, turning the recognizable plant into a mesmerizing pattern. For a drink known for its nuances, deep scarlets and elegant flowing cuts had their own subtlety. It could have been the video montage of winegrowers and vast vineyards playing throughout, but my post-show thirst for something red and tannic was insatiable.

Unapologetically Georgian, the collection was a marriage of the small pleasures that help define the country. From wine to words, her clear inspiration was subdued on exquisite canvases. It brought to mind beauty outside of apparel, fashion becoming art. Needless to say, my mind wandered to Eastern Europe where wine flowed and a way of life beckoned.

Article by: Samantha Lockhart from NASENSE