The FINANCIAL — “The official uniform of New York” – DKNY Jeans, “Between Love and Madness Lies Obsession” – Calvin Klein. We often hear such slogans of famous American Brands. Calvin Klein, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta – these are the names of very famous designers working in the United States that are well-known all around the world.
These names are well known in Georgia also. Moreover you can find almost all these famous brands available in the capital’s shops and markets at very acceptable prices, depending on the quality of the patent and country they are imported from. People usually don’t argue about taste. I have asked Georgian fashion designers which are their favourite American brands and as usual the answers are very different, but most American brands and designers are popular in Georgia.
Datuna Sulikashvili, Georgian fashion designer said that his favourite American designers are Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren. “Ralph Lauren has a very luxurious and regal style, but I can say that in the last three years Calvin Klein has also excited me,” said Sulikashvili.
“I have lots of favourite American brands, but most of all I like Helmut Lang. Everything about it, the style, lines, design and materials he uses are all acceptable for me,” said Tamuna Ingorokva, famous Georgian designer.
Irma Kobalia, another Georgian designer, chooses Nike from amongst American brands. “I like sportswear for everyday wear, that’s why I like Nike the most,” said Kobalia.
Unlike them designers Avtandil Tskvitinidze and Tata Vardanashvili don’t have any favourite American brands. As Tskvitinidze says he prefers European fashion and usually does his shopping in Europe.
“The designers I like and you know as Americans just work in the US but aren’t American. The only American brand I like is American Express – my credit card, which I always carry with me. It’s a unique invention, and gives me the possibility to buy and pay for everything I want all over the world,” said Vardanashvili.
I have often heard people debating whether or not it’s possible to buy original brands in Georgia. “I don’t think that you can buy original American brands in Georgia,” said Vardanashvili. “And I don’t mean only footwear and underwear. Even if it’s original the prices are so high that the average person here can’t afford it.”
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